An Aster Among the Thorns
by Blondebunny55
Summary: All she'd ever craved was her mother's approval. He just wanted to fulfill his mission to the Dark Lord. This is the story of two lost Slytherins who found themselves in each other.
1. Swimming Lessons

**A/N: **_Hi! So this is the first chapter of my Draco/Astoria story. You should know a few things before reading, so bear with me for a little bit. First off, this starts when Astoria and Daphne are still pretty young. Each chapter will have some sort of indication of what age Astoria is if it is different from the last. I have a couple chapters already written, so updates should be pretty quick. The true plot and story begins once Astoria is in her forth year, and Draco his sixth, though the first chapters are of Astoria growing up. I did this so Astoria can get her own back-story (which she wasn't allowed in the books) and also show her relationship with Draco as it evolves. Okay, I'm done rambling now. Let the story begin, and happy reading! …._

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging _for betaing! _

_

* * *

_

An Aster Among the Thorns 

- Chapter One -

"Remember girls; always keep your composure, even in the face of opposition. Your voice should stay soft and gentle, and your back should always be straight - Daphne stop slumping; you are breaking my rules even as I speak them!"

Daphne did as her mother said, though not without a heaving sigh first. Astoria sat next to her sister, and although she was two years younger, she seemed considerably more enthralled by the etiquette lesson. Her back was long and straight, her eyes staying politely fixed on her mother, not straying to stare wistfully out the window like Daphne's often found them doing.

"As I was saying - Posture says many things about a lady," Mrs. Greengrass' narrowed eyes raked across Daphne's face before she continued. "And it should say a great deal more than your words. Silence is your friend. Remember that."

Mrs. Greengrass stopped her pacing to regard her two daughters. Her spindly fingers clasped together at her back, her face betraying nothing. It was quite easy to discern - even at such a young age - which one of them would become the true lady.

Daphne stabbed the air with her eager hand. "Does that mean our lesson is over, Mama?" Her tone could have passed as genteel were it not for the undisguised smirk poised on her thin lips.

Mrs. Greengrass suppressed a frown and gave a sharp nod. "Don't dirty your dress when you go outside." She called to her daughter's fleeing back.

Astoria stayed firmly in her seat, as if she had not heard the training was over. Her heart was thrumming in her chest.

_Silence is your friend. _

She made sure to tuck the precious bit of information away in her mind. She was determined to become the perfect lady, just like her mother.

"Astoria?" Her mother swept to her side. "You can go now."

Astoria looked up at her mother; her grey eyes alight with uncertainty.

"Are ladies allowed to play?"

For some reason, her question made her mother smile.

"No, but you have a long time before you're a lady, darling. For now, you may go and have fun. But don't forget what I said to Daphne. No playing in the mud."

Astoria grinned, finally reassured. She stood and hurried off the way her sister had gone. There was no need for her mother to tell her not to play in the mud, though. Only Daphne found the gooey brown stuff interesting.

"C'mon, Tori! Let's play Muggles and Witches again." Daphne called when she spotted Astoria slipping out the door, into the glaring spring light.

A frown tugged at Astoria's lips. "That game is mean."

Daphne let out one of her signature laughs. Loud and callous, almost cruel sounding. Astoria nearly succumbed to the urge to cover her ears.

"It's not _mean_. It's just a bit of fun - we aren't hurting anyone, are we?"

Daphne did have a point - it was just a game, but Astoria always ended up being the Muggle, and Daphne the great superior witch. The entire time, Astoria had to stumble around and pretend to scrounge for morsels of food while Daphne continuously pointed a twig shaped like a wand at Astoria, commanding that she do tasks for her, or if Daphne was in a particularly wicked mood, Astoria had to pretend she was being hit with jinxes.

"I hate being the Muggle, though. Do they really act like that?"

"You know what Mum says," Daphne's face morphed into an exaggerated haughty sneer, "'we're superior but we must not show it.' Of course Muggles act like that! They're filth. But I don't see why we can't just _show _how much better we are." She waved the subject away with a lazy flick of her hand. "Now, are we going to play or not?"

Astoria sighed. She wouldn't give in this time; she had a better idea.

"Let's go climb the big hill. It's finally sunny enough we can see the river way in the distance."

Daphne crossed her arms, head cocked defiantly. "I say we go swim in the river."

"But Mummy says -"

"Trust me, I _know _what Mum says." Daphne's expression softened. "Tori, I won't let anything happen to you."

Daphne stuck out her hand. Astoria stared at it for a moment, until one of her little hands lifted to take it. Daphne would protect her, and surely her mother would understand….

The two sisters hurried off, their dresses whipping around their feet, exhilarated laughs bursting from their grinning lips, mingling with the wind that still held the last bits of winter. Up and over the hill they went - the hill that blotted out the horizon, hiding the land beyond. Many a summer's day Astoria had sat at the base of it and wondered what laid just over it, never daring to go and explore because her mother had forbad it. Daphne was never so hesitant. She had told Astoria once that a river as winding and endless as any she had ever seen sat right out of sight. Ever since Astoria had had a burning desire to see it.

The river drew closer, until every little bend and ripple could be seen. Daphne stopped running and began pulling her shoes off. Astoria held back, starting to reconsider her hasty decision.

"Do you think the water is cold?" Astoria eyed the river warily.

Daphne hiked up her dress, stepping close to the water's banks. She turned to look at her younger sister with an impish grin and said, "Freezing." before leaping in.

Once her head of wild brown curls reappeared at the surface of the churning river, she let out a shriek.

"You have to come in!"

Astoria looked down at her dress, and back up to her sister's wide black eyes. She walked up to the sandy bank, after removing her shoes, letting one tremulous foot submerge. Icy shocks shot up her leg and she immediately jumped away, her whole body shivering.

"You won't ever get in if you do it that way." Daphne snapped. She again offered a hand.

Astoria shook her head vigorously. "Don't pull me in."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "I won't. I'll help you."

Daphne however was lying - for the moment Astoria's hand gripped hers, she yanked hard, and Astoria went tumbling in next to her. Astoria struggled against the violent waves all around her that pummeled her with watery fists. She felt the unpleasant sensation as water seeped into her nose, filling her opened mouth, choking her. Cold enclosed her with its hooked claws, until every bit of warmth from the spring sun was stolen away, and for the first time, she realized, that even with all the schooling she had been given, swimming had never been one of the lessons. She wasn't the only one who had been struck with this thought - Daphne's arms wrapped around her a moment later, pulling her towards the surface.

"Merlin - Tori - !" Daphne sobbed. She pulled Astoria up onto the shore, pushing the tangled waves off of Astoria's ashen face.

Daphne's hands fluttered uselessly over her sister's body. "Please say something!"

Astoria only sputtered and gasped for air in response.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Tears snaked down Daphne's face, dripping off her long pointed nose and landing upon Astoria's cheeks.

"Daffy, you pulled me in." Astoria whispered; her voice raspy and her throat setting afire with her words.

Daphne visibly exhaled. "Tori!" She hugged her shivering sister tightly, relief resounding within her.

Astoria noticed that she too was crying, and the older girl's face was obscured by the swirling unshed tears and the frigid river water still clinging to her eyelashes when she pulled away from the hug.

"And to think, I wasted a perfectly good apology on you and you didn't even die." Daphne laughed. This laugh was much better, soft and gentle, more of a giddy giggle, really. But either way, Astoria wished her sister would laugh like that more often.

"Can we go home now?"

The two sisters linked arms, and dripping and shivering, ran back home. Their shoes laid quite forgotten back behind.

**A/N: **_So what do you think? Review!_


	2. With Love

**A/N: **_Sorry for not updating sooner, I was busy and all that good stuff. So, this is basically a filler chapter, but it's relevant to the plot and helps show a bit more of Astoria's character, so it's necessary. The next chapter should be up in the next day or so. Happy New Year's everyone! Review and make this author's New Years a bit brighter. (:_

Disclaimer: Just a girl in high school who tries not to write utter rubbish. Does that sound like J.K. Rowling to you?

_Special thanks to _ForeverSinging _for betaing!_

_

* * *

_An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Two -

Astoria turned her face up to the sun, feeling the warmth trickle like honey down her face, through her hair, across her whole body. The trees around her reached to the sky with their naked branches, leaves brittle and decaying at their bases. The summer sun seemed to be losing in the battle with fall; the soft earthy wind that whipped the loose hairs of Astoria's bun about her face certainly attested to that.

The house felt strangely empty with Daphne off at Hogwarts. Only a day and already, Astoria was missing her sister's strident voice. Just two years until she would be joining Daphne - but it felt like a lifetime.

"Astoria! There's a letter from Daphne inside if you would like to see it."

Astoria's eyes snapped open and she hurried back towards the house. Her mother had the letter in question gripped in her hand when Astoria entered the kitchen. Her father was pacing the length of the room, one hand rubbing the back of his neck, the other clutching what seemed to be a clipping from the _Daily Prophet_. The tension in the room was palpable.

Astoria stared between her parents. "What's wrong?"

Mrs. Greengrass' thin face attempted a smile when she noticed her daughter. "It's nothing, Astoria. Here's the letter." She held it out. Astoria took it hesitantly.

Perhaps Daphne had been sorted into Gryffindor? Yes, that would have caused her parents to act like they were; no one in her family had been sorted in Gryffindor before.

Astoria fixed her gaze upon Daphne's sprawling writing.

_Dearest Mama, Papa, and Tori, _it began. Astoria couldn't help but grin - she could just imagine the sarcasm dripping from Daphne's hand as she wrote that.

_Hogwarts is just as wonderful as you said it would be. I have made a new friend - Pureblood, of course. Her name is Pansy Parkinson. Oh, and I was sorted into Slytherin! No surprise there - _So it wasn't a matter of what house Daphne had been put into, after all - _and I love it. You won't ever guess who has come to Hogwarts as a first year too! Harry Potter! For the Boy- Who-Lived, you'd think he'd look a bit more impressive, though. I bet I could take him in a duel - Don't worry, Mama, only kidding!_

_I can't wait until you are old enough to come to Hogwarts, Tori. You will love it here, especially in Slytherin. Be a good girl and become a perfect lady, but don't forget to give Mama at least a little trouble for me while I'm gone. Again, only kidding Mama. Tori is much too obedient._

_I don't have much time to say anything else - my very first class begins in a few minutes. Hope you all are doing well._

_Love, Daphne._

_P.S. Remember the break-in at Gringotts? It's all everyone talks about here. _

Astoria glanced up from the piece of parchment. "There was a break-in? But you always say that it's impossible."

"It's nothing you need to worry about, dear. Now run along."

Astoria noted the sternness in her mother's voice and did as she was told without complaint. She left the room, hiding the look of confusion from her mother's careful glances. She had just reached the grand staircase when strained whispers coming from the kitchen floated towards her ears.

"- No coincidence, I can assure you, Cordelia. First a break-in, then -"

Astoria hurried up the stairs, knowing she certainly wasn't supposed to be hearing her parents' exchange. However, the conversation seemed to be escalating; it was becoming harder and harder to _not _listen to what was being said. It was the mention of Daphne's name that finally broke Astoria's resolve.

"- Daphne at Hogwarts now, we can't manage to stay out of it if it indeed is the work of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers. We barely survived last time he had power!"

Astoria tip-toed back the way she had come, feeling guilt weigh down on her with every step. But if this was about Daphne, then Astoria had a right to know.

"We'll just have to warn Daphne. If she understands that our lives depend on her to stay quiet on the matter -"

Mrs. Greengrass let out a harsh laugh. "Alastair, you know Daphne. She'll deliberately say something just to defy us."

Astoria couldn't discern her father's reply, for his voice had dropped to a low whisper. The next bit, however, was quite easy to hear.

"What do you think they tried to steal?"

"I don't know. But it was, without a doubt, the work of Death Eaters."

Astoria felt herself sag against the wall, her breath suddenly coming fast and erratic. Death Eater was a name she was familiar with. Her mother had instructed her from a young age to never associate with one. Even though they supported bloody purity like the Greengrasses, they were willing to murder and plunder to prove their point.

A sharp creak sounded under Astoria's foot as her weight shifted. She froze. The conversation that had continued after Astoria had stopped listening came to an abrupt pause. Footsteps approached, and Mrs. Greengrass appeared around the corner.

"Astoria." Her tone was sharp, tense. Her severe expression had Astoria cowering back against the wall.

Mrs. Greengrass' hand rose as if to strike her daughter, but then she seemed to reconsider.

"I told you to run along."

Tears sprang to Astoria's eyes. "I- I'm sorry, Mother."

"Discussions between your father and I do not concern you. Stand up straight and look at me when I talk to you!"

Astoria pushed away from the wall and rolled her shoulders back, pulling up to her full height. Her eyes reluctantly rose to stare into her mother's furious ones.

"Don't let me find you eavesdropping again." And with that, Mrs. Greengrass walked back into the kitchen.

* * *

_Thump_.

Astoria set aside the book she had been reading and strode over to the window, pushing back the heavy dark curtains. There, sitting on the window ledge, was a great horned owl, its amber eyes assessing Astoria under the low-set feathers that gave it a forever angry look. Astoria unlatched the window to let it in. It swooped past her, circling the room twice, before settling down atop a table. It held out its leg so Astoria could take the letter strapped to it.

Astoria didn't recognize the owl, but after seeing the '_D'_ written upon the back of the envelope, she assumed it must have been from Hogwarts, sent from Daphne. She sat back down and opened the letter.

_Tori,_

_I heard about you eavesdropping in the letter from Mum. Tsk, tsk, I'm ashamed. You're becoming more and more like me by the day. Before you know it, you'll be a disappointment too. But on a more serious note, did you hear anything interesting? Must have been something big if it had both Mum and Dad rattled. I'm sorry this is all I have time to write about, but I have to finish an essay that was due yesterday. I miss you already._

_Daffy _

Astoria glanced around her and found a spare quill lying near her. She flipped the letter over and began her reply.

_Daffy,_

_It was about Death Eaters and the break-in at Gringotts. I don't really know what it all means, but maybe you do. _

_I should hope I'm not becoming like you! Then Mummy and Daddy would have to disown both of us. _

_I wish you would come back home. It's lonely without you._

_With lots of love, Tori_

Astoria sat back, pushing a lock of her light brown hair out of her eyes. She tied the letter back onto the owl's offered leg and watched it fly off out the window.

Although Astoria had written it in a teasing manner, she certainly meant what she said about not wanting to be like Daphne. The eavesdropping incident was enough to assure Astoria that she never wanted to turn into anything but a perfect lady, so she would never have to see that look of disapproval on her mother's face again.


	3. My Father Will Hear Of This

**A/N: **_I was disappointed to see last chapter got no reviews… But here's a much longer one and perhaps this one will get some. Hope everyone had a good New Year's! Oh, and I have a picture up on my profile of how I see Astoria. If you already have an image of her in your head, then you don't have to look, but if you want to, then by all means! _

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize or the picture of Astoria.

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging _for the wonderful Betaing job!_

_

* * *

_

An Aster Among the Thorns

-Chapter Three-

Rain came down in great gray sheets upon King's Cross Station. The rhythmic noise may have once soothed Astoria's nerves, but today it felt more like an ominous sign. The unusually chilly air snaked its way under Astoria's robes and nipped at her flesh. She shivered and hung closer to Daphne's side as they weaved their way through the crowds to Platform 9 and ¾.

Today was Astoria's first day going to Hogwarts, and to put it lightly, she was terrified. All through the summer, her mother had insisted she fill every space of her mind with all the etiquette rules known to man, so as her mother put it, 'at least one of the Greengrass sisters would be able to uphold the honor of their family.' The responsibility it put on Astoria weighed her down so much she was sure her feet would soon buckle beneath her.

"Run through the barrier with me, Tori." Daphne pleaded as they neared the spot that would let them come out the other end by the Hogwarts Express. Her black hair was already falling out of her chignon, fluttering freely about her gleeful face. Since the time she had started school, she had certainly grown into the Greengrass features. Her cheekbones were high and sharp enough to cut parchment, and her body had filled out with soft curves that she had wasted no time flaunting, much to their mother's dismay.

Astoria slipped her quaking hand into her sister's as a part of her mind mentally frowned at the way her own body had yet to grow into something as pleasing to the eyes like Daphne's; her face still held desperately to its baby fat, making her cheeks still grow round when she smiled, and her knees were bruised and knobby like a child's. And a child she was not - she was eleven and by her mother's standards, very nearly a lady. But as the two girls hurried closer to the barrier, Astoria pushed these contemplations to the back of her mind; she was starting school at Hogwarts, at long last, and this was no time to dwell on her shortcomings, especially the ones she had no control over.

If Astoria hadn't already been on the Platform before, the sight surely would have taken her breath away. Mothers bustled past, pulling teary-eyed toddlers in their wake - "_Why _can't I go to Hogwarts too, Mummy?" - other students with cages of owls and cats held in their arms shouted to one another, but the most interesting part was the stark red engine with the stately words Hogwarts Express written on the front.

Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass appeared behind Astoria and Daphne a moment later. Mrs. Greengrass' thin lips were pulled taunt with irritation.

"What did I tell you two about not running?" She hissed at her daughters, her hands smoothing back her tidy bun.

"Sorry, Mum." Daphne replied, her voice filled with cheek.

Her mother shot her a withering look but said nothing.

Astoria's eyes lifted to look at the clock positioned on an opposite wall. "I think we should be getting on the train soon."

"We would have had more time if Daphne didn't insist on sleeping in so late." Mrs. Greengrass huffed. "Well, give your mother and father a hug goodbye." She opened her arms.

Astoria accepted the offer, and for a brief moment she sagged into her mother's form, breathing in the familiar musky scent of her mother's perfume and wishing she would give some sort of comfort, or at least tell Astoria how much she would miss her. But Mrs. Greengrass stayed silent as she released Astoria and turned to Daphne. Astoria gave her father a fleeting embrace next, though she wasn't disappointed when he gave no farewell; she had never been close to him, he had always been far too distant to form close bonds with his daughters.

Daphne gripped Astoria's wrist and pulled her away from where their parents stood, until they had become lost in the sea of people, her step becoming more buoyant with the second.

"Thank Merlin we can finally leave." She hissed in Astoria's ear. Astoria didn't respond.

"So are you excited? You'll be a Slytherin, I'm sure of it." Daphne took sight of Astoria's nervous expression and slowed her pace to give the shorter girl a swift side-hug. "You'll be fine. You can sit with me and my friends on the ride there if you want."

Astoria looked up, catching Daphne's black eyes with her grey ones. "Really?"

Her voice betrayed the slight hope that had blossomed in the pit of her stomach. "They won't mind?"

Daphne gave a careless shrug, "You're my little sister - and they know they'll get a good telling-to from me if they have anything to say about it."

The sisters exchanged a smirk - they both knew Daphne would have no problem doling out tongue-lashings.

Daphne led them to near the back of the train, explaining, "This is where all the Slytherins sit." before pulling open the door to a compartment. Inside sat a girl with a rather upturned nose and next to her a blonde boy with a pointed, sneering face.

"Daphne!" The girl exclaimed, jumping up to give her friend a hug.

Once they had broken apart, Daphne turned to Astoria. "This is my baby sister, Astoria."

The other girl stepped forward with a simpering smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, Astoria; we've heard a great deal about you. I'm Pansy Parkinson." Her tone was laden with sickly sweetness. Astoria restrained the urge to gag.

"You too." She muttered.

Pansy took her seat back by the blonde boy and Daphne and Astoria sat across from them.

"Who's this?" The boy asked who appeared to not have heard the introductions out in the aisle. He gestured to Astoria with his eyes. She noticed they were not unlike her own - though they were harsher, more calculating.

"Astoria," Pansy purred in his ear, "Astoria _Greengrass_." she added when his face didn't light up with recognition.

"Your sister?" He asked Daphne. He seemed not to notice Pansy draped on his shoulder, hanging onto his every word.

"Yes." Daphne replied, "And you had best not be a prat to her, Draco, or I will gladly hex you into oblivion."

The blonde boy, who's name apparently was Draco, curled his lip. "No problem there; I don't associate with first years." He glanced in Astoria's direction, though his expression was impassive.

"Where are Blaise and Tracey?" Pansy asked after a moment of tense silence.

"Dunno. I didn't see them on my way here." Daphne said.

As if by coincidence, the compartment door opened a second later, revealing a scowling blonde girl.

"Don't touch me." She snarled when Pansy leaped up to greet her. "I just brushed shoulders with that Granger girl. I'm contaminated with Mudblood germs." The girl turned like she was going to flop down next to Daphne, but then she noticed Astoria.

"My sister." Daphne clarified before the blonde girl had even opened her mouth.

"I knew that. You two look a lot alike. Except she doesn't have a permanent smirk etched on her face like you, Daphne." The girl locked eyes with Astoria. "I'm Tracey Davis. I'd shake your hand, but like I said, I'm contaminated." A sardonic grin graced her lips.

"Nice to meet you, Tracey." Astoria murmured.

"Budge up, won't you?" Tracey asked, "I promise I won't touch you with my infected shoulder."

Astoria made room for Tracey, causing Daphne to be pinned against the wall. She decided that although Tracey was loud and rather crude, she liked her much more than Pansy and her fake kindness.

"Tracey, have you seen Bl- " Pansy cut off mid-sentence when the train came to a sudden stop. Astoria felt her muscles grow stiff - there was no way they were already at Hogwarts.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Daphne snapped.

The lights dimmed, flickering a few times before going out completely.

Astoria let out a yelp when an unseen foot in the darkness came down hard on hers.

"My apologies, Astoria. That was me." Draco's voice came from somewhere surprisingly close to her face. He sounded far from sorry.

"What are you doing?" She squeaked when, again, his foot collided with hers.

Instead of answering, Draco growled, "Pansy, get your ruddy hands off me!"

There was more scuffling, and then the compartment door opened. Astoria felt a soft scream leave her lips, until she saw what little light there was reflect off the slicked blonde hair and realized it was only Draco looking out of the cabin. Of course, she wasn't sure what she had been expecting; she felt strangely on edge.

"I can't see a thing out there." He said before closing the door and scrabbling back to his seat.

"Well, this is just brilliant." Tracey's voice muttered, "I'll have my father hear about this and whoever is responsible is going to be sorry."

Pansy let out an uncouth snort. "What will _your _father do about this? Draco's father actually works at the Ministry."

"Oh, give it a rest, Pansy! We all know you fancy him, but do you have to bring him up every bleeding second?" Tracey sounded rather offended.

Their argument soon ended when the temperature in the cabin suddenly plummeted. The window frosted over at an alarming rate - but what was most disturbing to Astoria was how very _hopeless _she was starting to feel. She wanted to sob, to throw herself to the floor and give up because she would never, never measure up to her parent's standards; would never be as charismatic or pretty as Daphne.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Daphne asked again, though this time her voice was shaky, barely more than a whisper. So Astoria wasn't the only one who felt it.

The compartment door opened and this time Astoria could not muster up a scream. Before them was an awful creature Astoria had only heard of - its raspy breath sent terrible skittering chills over Astoria's skin, and she felt so cold…

"Dementor." Tracey breathed. Her usual jaunty tone had evaporated.

The dementor stuck its black head in the compartment, moving it this way and that as if it were looking for something - but that was ridiculous, dementors didn't have eyes. And then, just as quickly as it had come, it left.

The icy weight that had been pressing on either side of Astoria's lungs lifted, though she still shivered, the dark thoughts still swirling in her mind.

"I'm going to go complain. Sending dementors… When my father learns of this…." Draco flung the door open and strode off down the aisle.

The girls sat in utter silence, none of them wanting to be the first to admit how very terrified they were. Astoria certainly wasn't about to seem weak in front of a bunch of third years.

Draco reappeared a moment later, flanked by two burly figures. He was laughing with great, malevolent booms as he reentered the cabin.

"You won't ever guess what I heard out there! Scarhead actually _fainted_!"

Pansy, as if on cue, started giggling, though it sounded hollow and forced.

"Who's Scarhead?" Astoria felt very stupid for not knowing, because she seemed to be the only one who had no idea whom Draco was referring to. She hunched down in her robes, feeling the unnatural chill still hanging in the air start to ease.

"Harry Potter. You know, The-Git-That-Lived." Tracey answered from next to her.

"Why did he faint?" Daphne asked.

"The dementors."

No one seemed near as concerned as Astoria felt. "Why are they even on the train?" She asked.

"Probably looking for Sirius Black." Astoria may not have been able to see Draco, but she could easily tell he was reveling in the fact he knew more than the others. "The Minister of Magic says that Black is looking for Potter so he can finish what the Dark Lord started. I say let him."

At that moment, the lights flickered back to life. Astoria squinted as the sudden brightness shot pricks of pain through her eyes. When at last she could see properly, she noted that Draco was leaning back with his hands behind his head, a cocky grin spread lazily across his face. The two burly boys that had accompanied Draco were still standing in the aisle, looking thoroughly out of place. Draco seemed to remember them the same time Astoria had, for he called, "Oy! Crabbe, Goyle, get in here."

They lumbered into the cabin gratefully, practically taking up the entire space with their sheer size, though they stopped short when it became obvious there was no room for them.

"Pansy, move over next to them." Draco pointed with his chin towards the bench across from him where Astoria, Daphne and Tracey were. Glowering as though she had really been asked to sit next to a couple of Mudbloods, Pansy did as she was told. The boys named Crabbe and Goyle took her place.

"So Astoria," Draco drawled once everyone was settled, "what house do you think you'll be sorted into?"

Astoria felt an unexpected smile twist at her lips - whether it was because he had singled her out or because she was suddenly feeing giddy with the presence of the dementors gone, she wasn't sure. Either way, she sensed his inquiry was a sort of test - one she knew she would easily pass.

* * *

"- Checking for Sirius Black, those Dementors were."

"Harry Potter really fainted?"

"I'm so nervous!"

"- Does anyone know how exactly we're going to be sorted?"

The voices of Astoria's fellow first-years surrounded her, though she felt no inclination to join their conversations; she stood stoic and aloof next to a Pureblood girl she had shared a boat with on the way up to the castle. She hoped she betrayed no fear - why should she be nervous, after all? She was Slytherin through and through.

When at last it was her turn to try the Sorting Hat on, she held her head high and marched up the steps. The brim fell down over her eyes, hiding the extravagant hall from her sight.

"_Ah, another Greengrass," _The hat said in her ear. "_Eager to please, I see. You have the potential to be extremely cunning, however. How does Slytherin sound?"_

"Yes!" Astoria breathed.

She heard as the hat cried, "SLYTHERIN!" and then it was ripped from her head. She hurried to join the cheering table decked in green and silver. _Her _table.

Astoria took a seat next to Daphne. Several hands clapped her on the back, faces beaming at her. Coming from a respectable Pureblood family did have its perks. The other houses didn't seem quite as enthusiastic, she noticed. Daphne had said Slytherins were looked down on by everyone else - Astoria didn't understand why that was, for the ones she had met thus far didn't seem too bad. They were certainly better than Muggleborns.

The girl Astoria had stood by earlier, who was named Cora Turnmouth, became a Slytherin also, and took the space on the other side of Astoria after her sorting.

"Nearly considered Ravenclaw, it did." Cora said to Astoria after the food had appeared at the tables. "I'd sooner have tossed myself off one of the castle's towers than gone to any other house."

Astoria found that Cora was an excellent companion - she spoke with a blunt manner, though her voice had a soft lilt to it. She had deep reddish hair, which she assured everyone around her, was nothing near the same color as the Weasleys'. It was nice talking to people other than her family, Astoria decided.

When at last the feast was over and the students were herded off to their separate dormitories, Astoria nearly collapsed onto her bed, she was so full and sleepy. But even after the lights had been turned off and the girls in the neighboring beds had all stopped whispering, their breath coming even and peaceful, Astoria was still wide awake. She had already counted the twenty-three notches on all four of the posts on each corner of her four-poster bed more times than she cared to acknowledge, yet her mind simply would not quite whirring.

The hat had said she '_had the potential to be extremely cunning,' _though she was beginning to wonder if it had been right. Cora was cunning. So was Daphne. Perhaps Astoria would have to wait and see; maybe one day she would grow to be a grand Slytherin, full of guile and cleverness. But at the moment, all she wanted was for sleep to take her. And with those thoughts in mind, it finally did.


	4. Let's Ditch This Ball

**A/N:** _Astoria is now in her second year of school. Draco is a fourth year. _

Disclaimer: I still don't own.

_Thank you _ForeverSinging _for Betaing!_

_

* * *

_

An Aster Among the Thorns

-Chapter Four-

Astoria pulled the soft fabric of the green scarf adorning her neck up over her chin, trying in vain to block out the intrusive winter air. Her eyes slid up to glare at the bloated gray clouds pressing down on the grounds; she longed to see the sun shining again.

"Was there something you wanted to talk about…?" Astoria's voice dwindled out, unsure.

The boy's mouth twisted into something akin to a smile, though the effect had Astoria feeling even more uncomfortable.

"Well," He began, "I was wondering if you would go to the Yule Ball with me." He kept his eyes averted, like he really didn't mean what he said.

Astoria opened her mouth, but she was quite speechless. The aloof Theodore Nott had sought her out in the library, and asked her to accompany him outside to ask _her_ to the _ball_? She had hardly spoken a word to him before, not only because she was two years younger, but because Theo simply didn't talk. Daphne could get him to speak more than a few one syllable words, though that didn't really constitute to very much.

Astoria wanted to ask why he was bothering - obviously neither was very enthusiastic about it - but instead she said, "I would be delighted." After all, this gave her an opportunity to actually attend the ball.

"Great." He gave a swift nod, and with that, he left Astoria standing on the frost-covered cobblestone path that lead out of the front doors.

"Great." Astoria repeated in little more than a murmur, watching his retreating figure.

When at last Theodore was swallowed by the swirling early-morning mists, and Astoria could no longer see him, she turned on her heel and made her way back to the library.

Cora looked up from her three-foot essay when she noticed Astoria had returned.

"What was that about?" Cora set her quill down, obviously expecting a lengthy answer.

"He asked me to the Yule Ball."

Cora mirrored Astoria's look of bewilderment.

"Blimey. What did you say?"

Astoria concentrated on extracting a book from her bag, taking more care than necessary to set it upon the tabletop. "I said yes."

To Astoria's surprise, Cora let out a snort.

"What?"

Cora grinned wryly. "I wish you the best of luck trying to make the bloke talk."

* * *

"A Durmstrang, Tori! I'm going to the Yule Ball with a Durmstrang!"

Daphne was much too absorbed in her quest of finding the right shoes to match her dress to notice Astoria's exasperated sigh.

"Do you even know his name?"

Daphne paused, looking offended. "Of course, it's Sven - or, or Sten…" Daphne waved her hand impatiently. "Oh, what does it matter? I'm going to the Yule Ball with one of Viktor Krum's friends!"

"You said that already."

"Don't get cheeky with me, Tori," Daphne said smartly, "You should be finding something to wear too, you know."

Astoria brushed one of her hands across the bedspread on Daphne's bed where she sat, a grimace coloring her features.

"Mum said she would owl me a suitable dress, but it hasn't shown up yet. I think she's mad I'm going with Theodore because his dad was a Death Eater. Maybe I shouldn't even go."

Daphne clicked her tongue - an irritating habit she had picked up from Pansy. "It's not a sin to do what _you _want sometimes. You act like Mum is Merlin or something."

"Not everyone is as rebellious as you, Daph." Astoria watched as Daphne inspected herself in a mirror, her dress held up against her front.

Daphne pretended she hadn't heard Astoria's comment. "Why don't you just barrow one of Pansy's dresses? She has so many, I'm sure we would be able to find one small enough."

"Won't she be angry - ?"

Daphne pulled the resisting Astoria over to where Pansy's trunk laid.

"She won't even know. C'mon, the ball starts in two hours and I won't let you stand Theodore up."

Reluctantly, Astoria began sifting through the slippery material, searching for a color that wasn't a sickly shade of pink. In truth, she did want to dress up in a lovely gown, and dance until dawn, regardless of the fact she would be next to a Death Eater's son. But a tugging feeling in her stomach assured her that doing so would displease her mother.

"This would look nice with your hair." Daphne interrupted Astoria's reverie, pulling a soft green gown from the pile.

Astoria marveled at it, and couldn't help the excitement that bubbled up inside her. It really was beautiful. It was strapless, and made of what Astoria assumed to be taffeta. The skirt fell to the ground in elegant pleats like water flows from cliffs.

"Very Slytherin." She approved.

"And I think it just might fit you. Go try it on." Daphne shoved the frock into Astoria's arms with an encouraging smile.

Astoria let her gaze fall upon the dress, and with a final deep breath, she pushed away the nagging sensation in her stomach and let her feet guide her to the bathroom to change.

* * *

"You look - nice."

Theodore's smile was stiff, forced. His tone could have suggested he was commenting on a finely bred horse and not his date.

"Thank you." Astoria didn't bother with formalities - she was still determinedly ignoring the little tug in her stomach. She linked her arm with his proffered one, and together, they walked into the decorated Great Hall.

"They did a good job decorating." Astoria said. She stared around her, at the fake snow drifting softly from the enchanted ceiling, and the large Christmas trees set where the Professor's table usually sat.

Theodore didn't respond, though Astoria hadn't expected him to.

They passed Tracey and Blaise on their way through the hall; Tracey wholly absorbed in yelling at the brutish Hufflepuff boy that had stumbled on the hem of her dress. Blaise watched on with detached amusement.

Astoria next spotted Daphne, and thusly dragged Theodore over to greet her sister. He didn't resist.

"Daph!" Astoria hoped the relief at finding a friendly face was not too obvious.

"Tori, Theodore, meet my date, er - Sven." Daphne side-glanced at the uninterested boy standing next to her, as if to see if she had gotten his name right. He made no effort to correct her, and this seemed to make her satisfied.

Astoria and Theodore both nodded respectively at the boy and he returned it with a jerk of his head.

"You look gorgeous, Daphne." Theodore said. Astoria was shocked to note the fervor behind his words, and even more so when Daphne blushed in response. Daphne never blushed.

With an almost audible click, it all came together in Astoria's mind. Theodore had asked her to be his date so he could get closer to Daphne. And Daphne, judging by the giddy grin her lips had adopted, had also figured this out and was quite happy about it.

_Well there went her night of endless dancing with her date. _

"I'm going to go get something to drink." Astoria announced. Her head was suddenly feeling light, the candles in the room becoming too much for her eyes.

She turned and hurried away, wondering all the way to the refreshment table way she was reacting like this. She certainly never liked Theodore - it was nothing of that sort.

Once Astoria had cup of punch in her hand, she began maneuvering listlessly through the swishing array of fabrics, gripping her drink as if it was the only thing keeping her from running back to the Slytherin common room like the frightened, confused girl she felt like inside. She wasn't very keen on the idea of returning to her sister, Theodore and Sven, if that was even his name. She was so engaged in her thoughts that she scarcely even realized it when she ran into something very solid.

Astoria stuttered out an apology, almost too scared to meet the cold eyes glowering down at her.

"Look where you're going you - Oh, Astoria." The older girl's voice changed, although she still sounded peeved. "Do you know where Draco is?"

Astoria shook her head, at last daring to meet Pansy's gaze. Pansy, however, was looking at Astoria's dress, and her expression was quickly darkening again.

"Is that my dress?" It wasn't really a question - both knew the answer to that without explanation.

"You awful cow!" Pansy extracted her wand from the clutch in her hand.

Astoria backed away quickly. "Daphne said it would be fine -"

Pansy cut off her timorous words with a mirthless laugh.

"I should have known - You don't think I see the way you parade around with your nose stuck in the air like you're too damn good to talk to the rest of us? Think stealing my stuff is okay because you're just so much better than me?"

Astoria didn't have time to reply - though she wasn't sure _how _to respond; no one had ever spoken to her with such venom before - for Pansy cried "_Diffindo!" _and a piece of the dress's skirt was ripped away from the whole, fluttering piteously to the floor like some kind of strange green flightless bird.

"What are you doing?" Astoria squeaked. Her hands spread across the soft surface of the dress, trying futilely to save it from further destruction. Tears sprang to her eyes, and Pansy became a cackling blur of blue.

"Trying to teach you some humility! _Diffindo! Diffindo!" _

Over and over, the dress's material was severed, the stream of spells spouting from Pansy's mouth only broken by her malicious laughter. The crowd of people nearby all turned to watch the show, forming a circle. Through her tears, Astoria saw only jeering, unfamiliar faces, all watching without a shred of concern for the slight second-year clutching at her clothing, that now hung in tatters.

"Pansy - _stop!" _Someone broke through the ring of onlookers, and rushed forward. With a jolt of pure, absolute relief, Astoria realized it was Daphne. She would be alright now.

Daphne tried to wrestle Pansy's wand away from her, but the pug-faced girl was stronger, and threw her friend off easily after a moment of struggle.

"Don't you dare try and take my wand again, Daphne, or I swear, I'll tell everyone here about that time in first year when you -"

Daphne's hand flew up in the air in defeat. "Okay, okay. I won't." And she melted back into the audience without another word. Astoria watched her, a strange sensation replacing the relief. It rose from her stomach, and her sobs turned breathless, almost like gasping. Her ears became deaf to everything but a loud rushing, and for all she could hear, Astoria might have been in the middle of a severe wind storm. Her knees collapsed underneath her. She fell into the pile of ruined green cloth at her feet. And there, on the floor, Astoria could almost see how very pathetic she must have looked; a little girl dressed in a once lovely gown, huddling on the ground, like a hurt animal trapped in a glass box for heartless people to stare and mock at.

Pansy gave a satisfied nod, and pivoted around, presumably off to go find the missing Draco. Astoria pushed herself up and shoved ruthlessly through swarm of people, although she could hardly see and she hadn't the slightest idea where she was going.

It may have been minutes, or hours, before Astoria finally stopped running. She found herself in a bathroom, one she didn't recognize. Her quaking hands grasped the cool sink, and she forced herself to stop breathing with such sharp, hysteric gasps.

"Well you look like a right mess, Greengrass." An amused, drawling voice proclaimed from somewhere behind her. She whirled around, and came face to face with Draco Malfoy. Her first insinct was to ask how he had remembered who she was - or better yet, how he could even identify her with her ruined makeup staining her cheeks.

"Draco." Was all she could get out. Her voice was high and nearly cracked under the strain of emotion.

"Yes, that would be my name." Draco smirked. "So what happened to you? Nott get a little too wild with his dance moves?" He surveyed her with an air of, what for him, must have been concern.

A hysterical laugh bubbled out of her lips before she could stop it. "No, it - it was P - Pansy." Speaking the girl's name made fresh tears well up and spill over.

"Ah, yeah, Pansy can be a bit… vindictive." Draco pushed away from the wall he had been casually leaning against. In the farther regions of her mind, Astoria wondered if he had been trying to look charming. "Here, take my coat." He pulled his tuxedo jacket off and offered it to her. She took it gratefully.

"Thank you." By now, she had begun to breathe a bit more normal.

"I didn't do that to be _nice_. I was just sick of seeing you half-exposed." He sneered.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Astoria asked, offended.

"In case you didn't notice, this is the boy's bathroom." Astoria flushed. "But I came here to escape from the same person as you."

"I thought you and Pansy were dating and in love and all that." Astoria rubbed at her eyes to clear it off the murky mixture of mascara and tears.

Draco's lip curled in its usual fashion. "Pansy seems to think we are."

"Well, you give her good enough reason to. You never push her away when she's all over you."

Draco shrugged nonchalantly.

"So, what do you say we ditch the Yule Ball and go take a walk on the grounds?"

Astoria felt an unexpected smile pull at her lips. "Alright."

"Don't get any ideas, Greengrass. I'm just doing it so I won't have to hear Daphne yell at me later for not taking care of her little sister."

At the sound of her sister's name, Astoria felt her stomach plummet. She frowned. Draco seemed to take her sudden change in expression as understanding he wasn't trying to be kind, and he guided them out of the bathroom. She wasn't sure exactly what it was that she was experiencing, but it was apparent now that Daphne couldn't, and wouldn't always be there to save her.

Astoria returned to the common room that night still wearing Draco's coat and a wide smile. Draco had gone back to Pansy, but Astoria refused to accompany him - Pansy would surely hex Astoria for suddenly showing up with her elusive boyfriend, who had all but ditched the entire affair. Instead, she went to bed far earlier than anyone else, assuring Cora she would fill her in the next day.

Astoria stared, unseeing, at the darkened ceiling, snuggling down into Draco's coat. He wasn't the best of company, often acerbic and proud, but he had been the only one that night that she had been able to find any sort of solace from, and for that, she was sincerely grateful.

**A/N: **_You know what's coming… Please Review! It's the only payment writers get. And they are wonderful payments, I might add. Thanks!_


	5. Never Trust A Snake

**A/N: **_Astoria is in her third year and Draco is in his fifth in this chapter._

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging _for the awesome Betaing!_

_

* * *

_

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Five -

Astoria grimaced down at the blank piece of parchment resting on her lap. A copy of _The Standard Book of Spells Year 3 _lay sprawled out next to her on the couch she was perched upon. She was trying, rather fruitlessly, to listen to both Cora's chatter and write the foot long essay due in Charms class the next day. However, the soft hissing from the fireplace positioned near her was lulling her into a stupor, and her thoughts were all beginning to run together; her mind refused to retain the sentence she had been rereading for the past few minutes.

"Astoria? Did you even hear what I said?"

"Hm?"

The red-head let out a disgruntled sigh.

"You know what? I think I'm going to bed since you haven't listened to a single word I have uttered in the last hour." Cora stood and stretched. "Hope you finish that essay by morning. Night."

"Night." Astoria called to her friend's retreating back.

She too stretched where she sat, and looked around her. It was nearly midnight, and the common room was inhabited by only a few other students. Daphne and Theodore sat in an opposite corner, wrapped up in their little world together as they had been since a month after the Yule Ball last year. Astoria struggled to keep herself from rolling her eyes. Draco was seated in a neighboring chair, engaged in a heated game of Wizarding Chess with Blaise; his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, watching on, though their expressions clearly showed they had no idea what was going on.

Astoria returned to her homework, not allowing her eyes to slide close like they so desperately wanted to. The room was dim - the fireplace and the sickly green haze from the lake up above sufficed as the only sources of lighting. Astoria began to find reading in the muted light was giving her a headache.

"Checkmate." Draco's haughty voice declared.

Astoria glanced up again. Blaise pushed away from his seat and strode off to the dormitories, grumbling something under his breath that sounded like, 'bloody cheating prats.' Draco leaned back in his armchair with a self-satisfied smirk.

"Do try and be a better loser next time, Blaise." He called after the dark-skinned boy.

Astoria shook her head and pulled her attention back to the still-blank parchment. Draco had been acting more arrogant than usual this year. It definitely had to do with the fact he had been picked to be a Prefect and a member of the Inquisitorial Squad - of course, Astoria had also been made a member, but you didn't see _her _flaunting her new petty power in other's faces. In all honesty, she preferred not to use her newfound power at all. Melting into the background fit her much better.

"So, who wants to play against me now? Crabbe, Goyle?"

Astoria knitted her eyebrows and tried to tune Draco's loud drawling voice out.

"No? Well then, Nott, what about you?"

Astoria grabbed a hold of her spell book and pulled it close to her face, as if she had suddenly become near-sighted.

"What's wrong with all of you? Too bloody scared of getting your arse kicked by me?" Draco chuckled.

Astoria's fingers curled around the book's edges until her knuckles were white. She was near the point of yelling at Draco to just ruddy shut it when he called, "Look at little Greengrass, her face buried in a book like always. I wonder, do you think she's stuck like that, or is she really that big of a bookworm? I would ask you to play, but I'm afraid it might be a bit hard seeing where to move your pieces with that in the way."

Crabbe and Goyle laughed stupidly. Astoria shot Draco a glare from over her book.

"I'm trying to get my Charms essay done, so if you wouldn't mind -"

Draco stood up lithely and made his way over to her side before she could finish.

"You're having problems with _that? _Salazar's beard, Greengrass, I could write that whole essay for you in a minute." He said peering over her shoulder and scanning the page she was turned to.

"Well, why don't you then?" She snapped. She ducked her head ever so slightly so her hair would hide the blush creeping across her cheeks.

"Play a round of Wizarding Chess with me, and I will."

Astoria met Draco's gaze, trying to look past the cold veil in his eyes to see if he was bluffing. He smirked as if he knew what she was doing.

"Don't believe me, Greengrass? I give you my word - and that's coming from a Malfoy, so be assured you can trust it."

His smarmy grin was tinged with something she couldn't place, and she was loath to believe he was sincere. But seeing as she had made no headway thus far, she finally agreed. After all, it was just a game of chess.

"So, Greengrass, have yourself a boyfriend?" Draco inquired as he set up the board.

Astoria squirmed. "No," She answered curtly, knowing jokes at her expense were sure to ensue.

"What happened to - what was his name? Ah, yes, Hughes. I thought you two were an _item." _Draco dragged out the last word with a smug sort of grin.

"That ended ages ago." Astoria muttered, watching Draco move one of his pieces.

"Well, I'm glad you finally came to your senses. The bloke was about as fascinating as a hippogriff."

Astoria took a moment to reply, her fingers hovering over her white pieces before making her move.

"He was nice; which is a right lot more than you can say." She shot the blonde boy across from her a teasing smirk.

Draco only laughed in response.

"Girls don't look for nice guys. They want someone handsome, charming, rich - someone who can set their world on fire." His suddenly pompous tone made it clear he was speaking about himself.

"Right." Astoria bit her lip to keep from snorting.

Draco rubbed his chin, deliberating his next move. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. You're far too young to appreciate a decent bloke even if he was right in front of you."

"Is that so?" She remarked absent-mindedly.

Draco seemed to remember his two friends, Crabbe and Goyle, were still sitting next to him and listening to his and Astoria's conversation.

"Crabbe, Goyle, why don't you leave now, this is a private conversation."

They stood obediently and lumbered off. Astoria realized that by this time, she and Draco were the only ones remaining in the common room. She felt her heart rate suddenly spike and prayed Draco couldn't hear.

"Where were we? Right. If you would like to get to know what a decent bloke is like, I can always show you."

Astoria scooted back reflexively as Draco leaned in. She took her turn without thought.

"I think I'm fine." She winced at how breathy her voice had become.

Draco shrugged easily, and moved one of his pieces with an exaggerated air. "Checkmate."

Astoria huffed. "How did you -?"

"It took just a few smooth words to make you completely lose your head." His words were dosed in smugness.

Astoria folded her arms childishly. "Well it doesn't matter - you still have to write my essay."

They rose from their chairs simultaneously.

"And that's where you're wrong, Greengrass."

Draco moved around the small table separating them.

"What do you mean?" Astoria asked, incensed. "You promised!"

"_Never," _Draco stepped close to Astoria, pushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. "trust a promise with a snake, Love."

He then turned and walked off to bed, leaving Astoria utterly speechless back behind.

**A/N: **_Yay! Lots of Draco and Astoria in this. Just to let you know, this is the last chapter before the true story begins. From now on, it won't jump years and you can expect even more Draco/Astoria! Please review? It always helps motivate me to write faster. Thanks!_


	6. Gray Areas

A/N:

_I have a three-day weekend and that means time to finally _write! _I don't really like this chapter but I guess it's kind of necessary… Hope you guys enjoy… Oh, and I like to think that after the Yule Ball Daphne and Astoria weren't quite as close. Astoria saw her older sister as her protector and the one she could always count on and when Daphne didn't stop Pansy it hurt Astoria deeply. And you will see Astoria isn't the only one who feels a bit miffed. Expect another chapter soon to make up for this ehh one, haha. One last note; does anyone know the singer Ellie Goulding? You should look her up she is AMAZING! I've been listening to her nonstop for the last few days. Okay, I'm done talking now. Happy reading everyone and please review? ….._

Disclaimer: I own nada. Lucky me.

_Thank you to _ForeverSinging_ for being a wonderful Beta!_

_

* * *

_

An Aster Among the Thorns

-Chapter Six-

Astoria watched her reflection as she fastened a pearl chocker around her neck. A girl - no, officially a lady, now - with inscrutable grey eyes gazed back at her, a demure smile set poised upon her alabaster face.

Astoria was certainly pleased with who she had become - her mother had done nothing but praise her in the week following up to this point - an occurrence that had never happened before. And now, today was it. Her coming of age party. It was a ridiculously outdated tradition among purebloods, and it came far before the legal age in the Wizarding World, but with the Dark Lord at large again, neutral families like Astoria's were loath to miss any opportunity to celebrate something other than the fact they had thus far successfully toed the lines of the war. Astoria wasn't complaining - at last, she was better than Daphne at something. She wasn't witty and animated, but she was her mother's perfect little replica, and that's all she had ever wanted, after all.

Soft footsteps were heard just beyond Astoria's bedroom door, and she tore her gaze away from the ornate mirror over her vanity to see who was approaching.

"Are you ready, dear?"

Mrs. Greengrass appeared in the doorway. She sucked in sharply when she caught sight of her daughter. "You look just like I did on my coming of age party." She remarked fondly.

Astoria let a bashful grin emerge. "I'm ready." She replied, answering her mother's earlier question.

Mrs. Greengrass opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could speak. Daphne rushed up behind her, wielding a swinging golden object in her hand.

"Can I have a minute with her before she goes downstairs?" Daphne beseeched.

Her mother considered this briefly, before nodding and exiting the room.

"So? How do you feel?" Daphne walked over to Astoria's side, now holding the thing in her hand behind her back. "It's your big day, Tori. Or should I call you Astoria now, the family favorite?"

Astoria was staggered to note a faint edge in Daphne's tone.

"T - Tori is fine."

Daphne didn't say anything back, instead pulling the mysterious golden object from where she had been holding it out of sight, and dangling it in the air for Astoria to admire.

"Mum gave it to me at my own party, but I think it was only because she was supposed to. You know, me being older and everything. If she had a choice, I'm sure she would have given it to you, so here you are. You certainly earned it more than me."

It was a gaudy, overly lavish necklace, made of a gold plate with swirling designs inscribed on the surface. One large green emerald sat ostentatiously in the center. It caught the flickering light of the candles set about the room in an almost magical way.

"It has a curse on it, so that if anyone other than a true Greengrass wears it, they'll go mad. Nearly tried to get Tracey to put it on once when she wouldn't shut up." Daphne smirked and moved forward to hand it to her sister.

Astoria stared down at the thing in her cupped hands, feeling strangely discontent. "Daph, I can't take this. It was yours first."

Daphne shook her head. "Honestly, when the hell am I ever going to find an occasion to wear it? You'll put it to better use, I'm sure. Mum'll be so bloody proud."

Daphne left to go and join the party, and her mother refused to let Astoria go down herself until she had put the necklace on, even though it clashed horribly with her dress and other pieces of jewelry. It felt dreadfully cold and heavy against her chest.

* * *

"Ah, here's miss Astoria," A peaky woman clad in puce robes standing next to Mrs. Greengrass exclaimed as the fourteen-year-old approached. Astoria curtsied respectively, allowing the woman a warm smile, though she had no idea who she was.

The woman stared at Astoria with the same appraising gaze as everyone before her had. "Certainly inherited your looks, Cordelia."

Astoria didn't mind her guest's careful observations or their mindless comments - usually she was invisible at these sorts of gatherings, but tonight she was the main attraction. And she loved it.

Mrs. Greengrass nodded wordlessly, and for the first time, Astoria noticed the way the floating chandeliers overhead cast great shadows against her mother's sunken cheeks. It worried her for only a moment, before she was swept off by another exquisitely dressed woman who just _had _to introduce her to so-and-so.

It may have been an hour later, or longer - Astoria had lost all sense of time - when a hand clasped around her upper arm and pulled her away from the admiring crowd around her.

"What are you doing?" She gasped, and tried to wriggle away until she caught sight of the swinging red tresses and relaxed.

"Cora? I thought my Mum didn't invite your family."

Cora grinned wryly and continued to drag Astoria through the seas of people.

"My dad is the one who got caught rendezvousing with Death Eaters, not me. Besides, I'm not the only one here who shouldn't be."

During the earlier part of the summer, Aurors had discovered a secret Death Eater meeting, and although the Dark Lord himself had not been present, several men who hadn't been traced to the Death Eaters before had been, Cora's father being one of them. It turned out to be they had been bartering over something - though Astoria knew none of the specifics. Either way, Mrs. Greengrass had been furious Astoria had been associating with the daughter of a Death Eater friend.

Astoria knitted her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

Cora shook her head and pulled them through the grand doors out of the gathering hall, out into the ringing silence of the entrance hall. Their shoes clicking along the polished floor were the only noises.

Once the two girls had made it into the lush gardens surrounding the Greengrass Manor, Cora finally let go of Astoria, using her hand instead to point ahead of them.

"That's what I mean."

Astoria followed her friend's finger and her eyes fell upon a gathering of familiar faces, all huddled against the cold in a circle around an enchanted fire. She counted the faces, feeling not excitement, but horror rise inside her. If her mother knew! Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, Theodore Nott, Tracey Davis, Abram Hughes, Matilda Young, Draco Malfoy, and Daphne.

"Oy! Turnmouth, what took you so long?" Abram hollered. Astoria's stomach did a funny little jig in her abdomen when her eyes met his. She quickly dropped her gaze to the delicate pattern of pearls on her shoes. She had dated him in her third year for only a few weeks, and they had never kissed, yet she always felt strangely shy in his presence.

"I couldn't find Astoria; there were too many ruddy people in there."

Cora walked forward and sat down on a little bench set near the fire. Astoria figured it must have been a transfigured branch.

"Well, Greengrass, are you going to come join us, or what?" Tracey lifted her eyebrows expectantly.

Astoria's hands twisted together behind her back.

"Not to be rude - but what are all of you doing back here?"

Pansy snorted. "Some of us weren't invited to _your _party so we decided to throw our own out here. Of course, you're invited to this one too."

Astoria nodded in understanding, though she didn't advance any closer. She mentally counted how many of this impromptu party had ties to the Dark Lord and thus had not been a part of her coming of age celebration. Draco, Theodore, Tracey, and Matilda.

"And then there are those of us who got dragged into this without consent." Draco shared a sneer with Blaise.

"Oh, be quiet!" Pansy playfully swatted Draco's leg. "It's not like you had anything better to do."

Draco said nothing in reply, but Astoria saw his left arm twitch and his right hand move to cover a spot above his left wrist.

"Well, are you going to come over here or are you going back to have fun with all those dried up vultures in their finery?" Daphne asked.

Astoria still did not move, and Daphne jumped at her hesitation.

"You can't actually find them fun, can you?" She barked out a laugh. "You are so absurd, Tori."

Astoria huffed. "I'm not absurd I'm -"

"Just Mum's little puppet. Trust me, after all these years, I get it."

Astoria opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, like a fish out of water. She certainly felt like one at the moment.

"Fine." She conceded at last and went to sit in the empty seat between Draco and Cora.

"You know, you should be happy we were here to save you from a night of senseless chatter and tipsy men who compare their loads of money like it's their wand size." Pansy remarked, glaring at Astoria from across the circle.

There came several pairs of laughter from those around her, but Astoria couldn't find Pansy's comment funny at all. She could practically taste the hostility. The fire's flickering light threw sharp, menacing shadows over Pansy's features.

"I don't see what's so awful about it." Astoria responded. Her cheeks felt as though they had suddenly combusted.

"Don't listen to her, Pansy. Tori is like a parrot; always spewing Mum's words to everyone." Daphne smirked at her younger sister.

Pansy sat up straighter, an obvious sign she was about to launch into a speech. Astoria gulped back the fear rising in her throat. The Yule Ball's events were suddenly fresh in her mind.

"I don't get why you follow your mum's ideals, Astoria," Pansy began, "We're all Purebloods and Slytherins. And in case you haven't noticed, ever since the Dark Lord's return, no one else will even look at us, as if we're all Death Eaters already or something. All we have is each other, and your mum is ruining that by trying to separate you and Daphne from everyone she deems as unacceptable. This is the time that we need to band together, because otherwise, we're going to get torn down. And you're either with us or with her."

Astoria felt all eyes on her. How very much it felt like the group was asking her if she was with Harry Potter or with Voldemort. In war there were no gray areas. And Astoria was the gray area; she just wanted to be accepted, to blend in. Pansy did have a point though - it really was the Slytherins against the whole of Hogwarts - but Astoria wasn't ready to give up on what she had accomplished yet. Finally, she felt pretty, loved, the kind of girl her mother had wanted her to become. Was it really so bad to want to be seen as Astoria - not Daphne's sister, or another Slytherin - but as the girl who had passed etiquette lessons with flying colors, who loved herbology above any class, who wrinkled her nose every time she smiled, and could curtsey so perfectly even her mother could not find fault?

"Lay off her. You lot just had to go and try to ruin tonight for her, didn't you?" Cora snapped, saving Astoria from having to answer.

Pansy crossed her arms, a sullen look passing over her face. "She had it coming to her."

"Why don't we actually do something else than watch two birds fight, yeah? There's only two days before school starts and I intend to spend it better than this." Abram interrupted. His words seemed to have the desired effect; the almost palpable tension dissolved instantly.

"Anyone have Firewhiskey?" Matilda asked.

There was a murmur of agreement and then bottles of the fiery drink were passed around. Astoria took hers gratefully; she had only had sips of it before, but at the moment, it felt like a happy distraction.

A wireless was set up soon after, and a Weird Sister's song blasted from its depths.

Astoria took a swig of Firewhiskey, and winced as the burning scorched her throat.

"Can't bloody stand this band." A voice mumbled from beside Astoria. She turned to look at Draco sitting next to her, staring down at the amber liquid he nursed in his hands. She then realized he wasn't speaking to her; rather the suddenly coquettish Pansy, who was busying herself by playing with Draco's hair.

Astoria turned, disgusted, to Cora.

Cora smirked, also having seen the overt flirting. "Makes you wonder how mental Malfoy has to be to put up with the likes of her."

Astoria grinned. "Completely off his rocker," She agreed.

Cora's expression turned serious. "Astoria, don't listen to Pansy. She likes to give you a hard time, but there are plenty of other Purebloods who don't want to get roped into Death Eater business." Cora's voice dropped to a low whisper. Astoria had to lean in to hear her next words. "I've heard that Draco might be helping the Death Eaters now. And if that's right, then Pansy will do anything to put down those who oppose He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named just to get on Draco's good side."

Astoria glanced over her shoulder. Draco was conversing with Blaise, his head now in Pansy's lap. He definitely didn't look like a helper to the Dark Lord with his blonde hair falling messily in his eyes, his lips - the top one a bit fuller than the bottom - pulled up in a rare smile about something Blaise had said. Granted, the sharp ashen planes of his face did make him appear like he had been sculpted from cold stone, emphasized by the dancing fire's light. But that didn't mean anything - he had always looked a bit like a statue.

"What do you mean, 'helping the Death Eaters'?" Astoria inquired, replacing her gaze back on Cora.

"Dunno. Might just be a load of dragon dung, but would it be so hard to believe? His parents weren't too quiet about supporting the Dark Lord last time He had power."

Astoria nodded. It wouldn't be hard to believe at all. The problem was she didn't want to. Imagining the boy who had taken care of her after the Yule Ball, who seemed to be the only older boy in her house that had remembered her first name or that didn't act too haughty to spare her a conversation now and then, was now practically a Death Eater was more than she cared to think about. She would stay away from him - her mother would have wanted that - but for now she decided not to write him off. Maybe he was in his own kind of grey area himself; torn between what his parents wanted, what others wanted, and what his heart told him. Astoria certainly understood that.


	7. Not So Bad

**A/N: **_Hello, hello! Finals suck. Let's hope Friday will come quickly when they will finally be over and I will finally have some time to write! Make my week a bit brighter with a review, yeah?_

Disclaimer: I don't own!

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging!

An Aster Among the Thorns 

- Chapter Seven -

Astoria grasped the edges of the letter in her hands, angling the parchment so none of her fellow Slytherins could see the neat handwriting upon it. She wasn't sure whether she should be irritated or worried.

"Another letter from your mum?" Cora asked, reaching for another piece of toast.

Astoria nodded wordlessly, her lips busy mouthing the words as she read them.

Cora barked out a laugh. "It's only the second day back! How many is that now - three, four?"

"Five, actually." Astoria tucked the letter away in her pocket. Her thoughts buzzed like that of the soft early-morning conversation going on around her in the Great Hall. Somehow, her mother had found out about the little party in the Greengrass garden and was now convinced she had to send letters three times a day filled with her teachings to keep Astoria from getting a dark mark branded on her arm.

"That woman is going to have heart failure before she's forty." Cora grumbled. She spread marmalade across her toast with excessive force - obviously, she was still miffed about not receiving an invitation to Astoria's coming of age party.

"Well, if she does, it won't be over me." Daphne said from Cora's other side. She leaned around the red-head and held out her hand. "Tori, give me the letter."

Astoria did as her sister asked, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "What are you -?"

Daphne crumpled the parchment and threw it as far as she could. It hit a Hufflepuff boy with wild blond curls in the back of the head a few feet away, and he turned, his narrowed eyes searching for the culprit.

"Oh, get over it!" Daphne sneered at him. She shook her head in disgust and added under her breath, "What is a Hufflepuff, anyway?"

"What was the point of doing that?"

Daphne seemed to suddenly remember her sister and grinned wickedly. "It's my little way of getting back at Mum. She hasn't sent me a blasted letter in almost a year; must think I'm a hopeless cause."

Astoria couldn't help but notice how for a split-second, Daphne's usually guarded black eyes seemed to give way to the dark pools of emotions that churned behind them. It happened so quickly, Astoria was surely wrong, but for a moment she thought that perhaps Daphne's blasé manner was a front to hide something more.

Pansy and her group of friends stood up from the table on Daphne's other side. One of them beckoned Daphne, and she moved to follow them, but not before saying, "Don't listen to anything she says, Tori. You'll thank me one day."

* * *

"I'm telling you, Goyle, Slughorn must have more of that potion stocked up. If we could just nick some of it -"

Draco halted abruptly in the doorway when he caught sight of Astoria. His two usual cronies, Crabbe and Goyle, stood faithfully at his side.

"Greengrass, what are you doing here?"

Astoria glanced up at the blonde boy, eyes wide. "This is the owlery. What else would I be doing?" She nodded towards the folded parchment in her hand she had been trying to attach to the leg of her family's owl. It was a rather late reply to her mother explaining there really was no need for the growing number of letters the owls were delivering her each day.

"Right."

Astoria smirked. Draco curled his lip in response.

"Don't flash that cheeky smirk at me. I have better things to think about than what you're doing every moment of the day." Draco moved forward, brandishing a letter to be sent off. He sauntered along the rows of owls, as if looking for a suitable one.

"Like planning to steal from a Professor?" Astoria hadn't meant to actually speak the words, and she covered her traitorous mouth with one of her hands before any more unwanted comments could tumble out.

Draco shot her a dark look. "I think it would be in your best interest if you pretended you had never heard that."

Astoria pressed her lips together, afraid of saying something to anger him any further. She instead focused on surveying the pale boy's face, the way the weak sunlight streaming in from the uncovered windows threw the dark circles under his eyes in sharp relief. For a moment, she felt compassion fill her; perhaps he had simply been planning on getting some pepperup potion to alleviate whatever was ailing him. She doubted his pride would allow him to ask Madam Pomfrey for any.

"You know what?" Draco added after a moment of thought. "I might actually be able to use you. Do you think you could charm Slughorn into letting you into his private stock of potions?"

Astoria opened her mouth and then closed it. Slughorn _did _seem to be fond of her, but not because she was any good at potions. Perhaps it was because she was one of the few in her class that didn't always have a witty remark for everything he said. But to manipulate a Professor like that….

"I - I don't know about that."

"Greengrass, now is not the time to develop a conscience."

Astoria frowned. "I didn't just develop one; I've always had one."

Draco finally stopped pacing in front of a regal great-horned owl and it hopped onto his proffered arm.

"And what good has it done you?"

Astoria ignored his last comment. "What do you want from Slughorn's private stores?"

"You don't honestly think I would tell you before you agree, do you?" Draco fastened the parcel to the owl and watched it fly off into the brisk fall air.

"Well, I want to know what I'm agreeing to."

"Does that mean you're agreeing to do it?"

Astoria forced herself not to grit her teeth. Talking to Draco was like conversing with a wall. Actually, she might have more luck getting a straight answer out of the wall.

"Alright. But if I get detention -"

"Great. Meet me after dinner tonight in the common room and we'll do it." Draco made his way to the door, but Astoria's words stopped him.

"Why we? Can't I just do it alone?"

Draco turned, and let his grey eyes dance across her figure lazily. "Something tells me it would be best if you had some backup." As he exited through the door, he called back to her, "And don't bring your conscience. This is a job for just you and I."

Goosebumps erupted across Astoria's skin. She rubbed absent-mindedly at her arms and tried not to let her mind dwindle too long on the way it had sounded to hear him say 'you and I.' Attributing the sudden chill with the gaping uncovered windows next to her, Astoria hurried off retrieve a sweater, forgetting all about her letter to her mother.

* * *

Nerves were a funny thing. They sent Astoria's stomach into a strange dance, trying to both burst from her middle and clench into wild, incomprehensible knots. She clutched at her abdomen as she walked along the shadowy corridors with Draco at her side. Astoria wasn't quite positive what it was that had her so on edge - though she suspected it had to do with the fact she was fraternizing with the boy she had promised herself only a few days ago she would avoid.

"Alright there, Greengrass? It won't really help me if I arrive at Slughorn's door with you unconscious in my arms, you know."

She swallowed, mustering her composure. "I'm fine," she replied coolly.

"So do you have a plan worked out?"

"A plan?" Astoria repeated blankly. Why hadn't she thought to come up with one?

"I'm all for winging it, but this actually has to work. You see, my life is on the line here."

His lips were twisted upwards, but there was no humor in his tone. It made Astoria feel ill at ease.

"I'll just feed him some rubbish lie. Or you could…"

"I'm not exactly Slug Club material. I have a feeling he won't believe anything I say. I'm just coming along to make sure you actually do it." Draco spoke the name of Slughorn's ridiculous exclusive club with overt disdain. Astoria didn't blame him; though she had been invited, she couldn't quite picture herself sharing pleasant conversation next to Harry Potter.

"Fine. But doesn't it sound a bit easier if I just distract him and you get whatever you need without him noticing?"

Draco considered her idea for a moment, though his face gave no indication of what he was thinking. "That could work." His lips twitched. "Especially since you're about as charming as an elephant."

Astoria nudged Draco softly with her shoulder, "You think you're so witty, don't you?"

"That's because I am." He deadpanned.

Astoria stopped outside the door to the potion professor's living quarters. "We're here."

"I'm well aware of that fact, thank you." Draco snapped.

Astoria narrowed her eyes at him and then turned to the door. "Get ready to slip inside after he leaves."

Before her companion could answer, Astoria flung open the door, and rushed inside the room with wide eyes and a heaving chest.

"Professor Slughorn! P - Please come help! Someone has been poisoned!"

The bulbous man dropped the package of sweets in his hands, and lumbered towards her from his spot near the jauntily cracking fireplace. His sugar-coated fingers fluttered nervously in the air.

"Merlin, what is this you say, my dear? Someone's been poisoned?"

Astoria feigned sobs, hoping the professor was too flustered to notice how forced they sounded. "Yes! On the second floor; I came to you because I thought you could help -"

"Yes, yes. Of course - well, I suppose you should show me this student…"

Astoria pivoted and rushed from the room. A sort of smile broke through her façade as her feet pounded across the flagstone, Slughorn struggling to keep up behind her. It wasn't so bad, lying. And after all, she was doing it for a good enough reason. She hoped Draco would have enough time to get whatever he needed before Slughorn realized there was no hurt student. As Astoria thought of that, her step faltered. She hadn't thought of what to say when they reached the second floor and her lie would become apparent.

"How - much - further -?" Slughorn puffed after they had been running for some time.

Astoria slowed and looked this way and that, contorting her features to show confusion.

"She was right here." Astoria gestured to the ground near her feet. "Where did she go?"

"Are you re - referring to the poisoned student?" Slughorn bent slightly, wheezing loudly.

"I have to go."

Astoria hurried back the way she came. Her exit had been suspicious at best, but she had run out of ideas. Hopefully, Slughorn would let the entire escapade slide.

Draco was waiting for her near Slughorn's door when she arrived, fingering a vial of some sort of golden potion.

"I'm impressed," He drawled, "I almost believed your little act. Maybe you aren't as useless as I first thought."

Astoria wasn't quite sure how to respond to his double-sided compliment, and instead gestured to the golden potion, which she supposed was what he had come to steal.

"So what is that?"

"Felix Felicis - liquid luck."

"Luck? What do you need that for?"

Draco smirked. "How naïve of you, Greengrass. You act like I'm just suddenly going to give away all my secrets to you."

"I think you just fancy feeling all mysterious. Tell me; is that one of the traits you claim attract all the girls to you?" Distantly, Astoria could almost imagine how very much she sounded like Daphne. A grimace soured her sneer.

I don't _claim _anything -"

Slughorn appeared that moment around the corner, looking extremely peeved. Draco stopped talking immediately, and followed the professor's gaze to the vial he still held triumphantly in his hand.

"Run!" Astoria squeaked. She didn't bother to see if Draco was coming along; all she knew was she wasn't willing to break her perfect no-detention streak now.

Once Astoria was sure her legs had a jelly-leg jinx on them, she began to slow. With a start, she realized Draco was next to her, and amazingly, laughing with each labored breath he exhaled.

"Only with you would something like that have happened." He gasped, catching his breath.

Astoria fell back against the cool stone wall behind her, simultaneously shooting Draco a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He didn't answer her directly, instead remarking, "I can't remember the last time I ran like that. Actually, I've never ran like that."

"I've never lied like that before."

The two shared an amused smirk.

"You're almost bearable when you let your guard down, Greengrass."

Astoria blushed and began fidgeting with her hair. "Erm - thanks."

"That wasn't a compliment."

His harsh words cut at her, and the blush deepened.

"And here I was, about to say you weren't so bad yourself." Astoria snapped back.

Draco gave her an incredulous look. "You think I'm not so bad? You really _are _naïve, Greengrass."


	8. Potions and Planning

**A/N: **So sorry for my long absence. Life got in the way, but I have a few chapters written up and I'll be updating much more regularly. I know this is a bit short, but another will come very soon. Reviews would be amazing, especially since I'm just getting back into this again!

* * *

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Eight -

"Tell me this again; I'm still having issues wrapping my mind around the fact that you, Astoria Greengrass, actually lied to a professor and helped Draco Malfoy steal a potion."

Astoria feigned interest in the soft green patterns of her comforter that she sat wrapped up in, and wished she had waited a little longer to tell Cora everything.

"It was a one time thing. I don't see why you're making it sound so absurd." Astoria grumbled.

"It is absurd, though." Cora slipped of her bed and moved towards the bathroom. "And just imagine what Pansy will do when she finds out."

Astoria's stomach gave a sudden lurch. She hadn't thought of that. "She won't do anything because she won't find out." Astoria called after her friend.

"Right. Fat chance of that; Pansy somehow finds out everything." Cora replied around her toothbrush as she scrubbed away at her teeth. "D'ya think she spies on people?"

Astoria flopped backwards on her bed. "No idea."

"It's no use moping around about it. Go up to the blonde bugger and tell him no one is to know what happened."

Astoria considered this, her grey eyes surveying the ceiling distractedly. "I need something to threaten him with. He'll never listen to me otherwise."

Cora's head appeared in the doorway. She quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "Astoria, are you feeling alright? First you lie and now you want to blackmail someone…"

Astoria rubbed at her temples. "I'm fine. Really." She insisted.

A tap at the window interrupted Astoria from her methodical rubbing. She bounced up to unlatch the window for the owl outside. When it settled down and she could get a good look at what it carried, she let out a disgruntled sigh.

Cora reentered the room to investigate. Her eyes grew round when she saw the letters Astoria was attempting to untie from the owl's leg.

"Bloody hell," She breathed.

Astoria began to count them, each one causing a weight to press harder on her chest.

"_Fifteen_. Fifteen letters, all from my mum." Astoria announced once she was done. She then proceeded to slap herself on the forehead. "I forgot to mail her my reply yesterday after Draco came along and distracted me! She must think I'm deliberately defying her now."

Cora let out a low whistle. "Well, someone's got a bit of explaining to do."

"A bit?" Astoria let out a hysterical little giggle. "I should probably take this poor owl to the owlery to rest up. The thing looks like it won't be able to fly again for a few days." The owl, as if hearing her words, flopped onto its side where it sat on her bed. Its black eyes stared up at her.

"Well, if you see Draco on the way, I wouldn't suggest using the owl as a threatening tool," Cora snorted.

Astoria let out a wry laugh. "Thank you, Cora, for that brilliant advice."

Cora nodded in response. She did nothing to restrain her amused grin.

Astoria scooped the owl into her arms, promising herself she would read all of her mother's letters later.

She didn't run into Draco on the way to the owlery, though she wasn't sure if she should have been happy or disappointed about it. Astoria set the owl down gently next to some food once there, and it gave her a thankful hoot.

_Dear Mum, _Astoria wrote once she had tracked down a scrap piece of parchment and retrieved a quill from within the depths of her pocket. _I'm terribly sorry for the delay in my answer to your letters. However, it's a bit unnecessary to send so many. I haven't done anything you wouldn't approve of - _at that point Astoria stopped writing, and with a smirk, realized everything she had done in the last twenty-four hours were quite on the contrary of that sentence - _and I can assure you that I haven't forgotten your lessons. I'll send a longer letter later when I have some time. Hope you are well, Astoria._

Satisfied, Astoria picked out a healthy-looking owl and sent it on its way, letter attached.

Back in the common room, Astoria was still unable to spot Draco. She walked over to where Daphne lounged across a couch, and inquired after the blonde boy.

"Up in his dormitory, I expect." Daphne replied languidly. "He's been distant this year."

The door swished open easily to the boy's dormitory. Astoria padded into the room, almost afraid to disturb the hunched figure sitting at a desk in the far corner. She could just see the line of his jaw, tensed and twitching occasionally, as if he was deep in thought. Her eyes strayed for a second, and saw the boy's dorm was quite like the girls: same bottle green sheets, the exact low-set chestnut four-poster beds, five of them occupying the room. The difference ended there, though, as the floors were strewn with the roommates' miscellaneous possessions (even pureblood boys were untidy), and the walls were plastered with clippings from _The Daily Prophet_. With a closer glance, she realized most seemed to be about You-Know-Who. She shivered and walked further into the room, attention back on the oblivious Draco.

Astoria cleared her throat uncertainly. Draco lurched and he spun around, fumbling with a notebook of some sort. A few pages came loose and fluttered to the ground. Astoria moved to help him with them, but he was quicker.

"What are you doing in here?" Draco bellowed, stuffing the papers together before Astoria could read what was on them.

"I - I wanted to -"

"No one is allowed up here when I'm planning!" Draco pushed the notebook into an open drawer in the desk before advancing towards Astoria. His voice scaled with every step. "What do you want, you intrusive -" He paused, and the grey inferno in his eyes cooled at his confusion. "How did you even get in here?"

Astoria, thankful he had calmed a little, hurried to stammer out an answer. "Girls are allowed in the boy's dormitory."

By the time he had processed this, Draco's composure had been regained.

"Well, what do you want? What was so ruddy important you had to come up here and disturb me?"

Her reason suddenly felt very feeble and she felt like a child explaining it to him. "I - wanted to make sure you wouldn't tell Pansy about how I helped you. She'd have my head on a platter if she knew."

Draco seemed to agree with her feeling of childishness. A condescending laugh met Astoria's ears.

"I wouldn't bother mentioning anything regarding you to anyone." The curl in his lip made it clear he expected her to leave. And she was quite happy to comply.

Once back in her own dormitory, Astoria let her head knock back against her headboard.

"I never should have said anything. Now he thinks I'm just some wimpy fourth year."

Cora sat cross-legged next to her on her bed. Her expression was oddly pensive.

"Never mind that. What d'ya suppose he meant by 'planning?'"

"Who knows," Astoria replied, "probably something to do with that potion. Liquid luck, he said it was. What could he possibly need with that?"

A knowing glance passed between the two friends.

A feeling of disquiet shot up Astoria's spine. She refused to consider that Draco was using the potion to somehow help the Dark Lord. The evidence, however, was stacking up against him. And worst of all, Astoria had helped Malfoy in nabbing the Felix Felicis.

"I'm sure it's nothing," Cora said tactfully, sensing Astoria's unease.

"Yeah. Right. Of course it's nothing."

Astoria dearly wished it was true.


	9. Good Intentions

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging _for being an amazing Beta! _

* * *

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Nine -

In the next months, Astoria slowly began putting all thoughts of the Dark Lord and Draco's possible misdoings to the back of her mind. Days were spent more and more inside as the weather cooled, and with the grounds cloaked in a layer of snow, it became almost impossible to imagine anything evil could exist outside the warm glow of the common room fireplace.

Astoria sat curled up in an armchair, intently reading the book in her lap. It was all about magical plants and their healing properties. She had filched it from Neville Longbottom's bag earlier that day. Longbottom had plenty of books just like it though - Astoria was sure he wouldn't even miss it.

Most of the Slytherins were absent from the common room that evening. Astoria assumed they were off terrorizing second years again. Either way, it meant more uninterrupted time to read.

However, a loud crash from overhead ripped Astoria from her peaceful state. A moment later, Blaise came ambling down the boy's staircase.

"Oy, Greengrass," he called when he spotted Astoria, "Draco seems to be convinced you stole something from him. He's turned the entire dormitory over looking for whatever it is. Keeps saying you're the only one who knew about it. Do you know what he's going on about?"

Astoria's eyes clouded with confusion. "I have no idea."

Draco appeared at the top of the stairs. His features were contorted with rage.

"Don't lie, Astoria!" Draco roared. "The potion! Where is it?"

All at once, Astoria realized what Malfoy was talking about. She shook her head several times, as if trying to dispel water from her ears.

"Draco, I didn't take it. I have no use for it."

"Did you tell anyone about it?"

Astoria opened her mouth but reconsidered. She had told Cora about the liquid luck potion, but she had a feeling it would be wiser not to mention that fact to Draco.

"No," she said at last.

Draco pulled at his pale blonde hair. He looked truly afraid.

"You were the only one who knew. I didn't even tell Crabbe or Goyle I actually stole some. I need it to -" he broke off, as if he had said too much.

"I'm sure it's still there." Astoria offered gently. "Would you like me to help you find it?"

Draco's expression hardened. "No. I don't need help from anyone."

Blaise took advantage of the break in the heated conversation and slipped out of the portrait hole quietly; annoyed he was not allowed to know what the other two were referring to.

"Look, Draco," Astoria began in a low voice, "whatever you had planned, maybe it's best if you just forget about it -"

"What do you know about what I'm planning?" Draco hissed.

"N - nothing. But whatever it is, I'm sure you don't have to do it."

A hollow laugh left Draco's mouth.

"Trust me, I have to."

* * *

The next day, Astoria could hardly get out of bed.

"I think I've caught something," she rasped when Cora found her still wrapped in her blankets after breakfast.

"Get up," Cora said, tugging at Astoria's comforter, "there's a Hogsmeade visit today! Be sick tomorrow, if you have to."

Astoria groaned and pulled her pillow over her head. She refused to go anywhere feeling the way she did.

After much back and forth debate, Cora finally accepted there was no way she would be getting Astoria out of the castle, and left to join the rest of the students going off for a day of leisure.

She must have been developing a fever, for soon Astoria was shivering uncontrollably, even though she was covered up completely. Searching through her trunk for her favorite jumper, something strange caught her eye. Astoria pushed aside a pair of socks, and there glittering up at her was the missing vial of Felix Felicis. She sucked in a breath sharply, unable to process what she was seeing.

How could have it possibly found its way into her things? She definitely hadn't put it there.

"Draco's going to kill me if he finds out I've had it all along," Astoria muttered to herself. She slipped it into her pocket, deciding she would figure out how it had ended up among her things before giving it back to Draco. No one would get hurt if the potion remained missing a bit longer, she reasoned.

There was a flurry of gossip going around when everyone returned from Hogsmeade that afternoon. Apparently some Gryffindor girl had been injured, although the details varied from person to person. Some claimed they had seen a Death Eater hex her, while others insisted Harry Potter had finally snapped and attacked her.

Astoria pressed Cora to give her own account, knowing her friend would likely be the most reliable source.

"Honestly, Tori, I didn't even know anything had happened until I got back. All I know is someone handed that Katie Bell girl a cursed necklace. I bet you could get a glimpse of her if you go to the Hospital Wing and ask for some pepperup potion."

Astoria didn't quite like the idea of going just to ogle at the poor girl, but the prospect of feeling a bit better won her over at last, and she agreed to see Madam Pomfrey.

Astoria wrapped her winter cloak around her thin shoulders and set off down the drafty corridors to the Hospital Wing. The heavy wooden doors leading into the infirmary were locked, however, to give Katie Bell privacy.

Disappointed, Astoria began to make her way back to the Slytherin Common Room empty-handed. Along the way, she began to feel rather hot. She plopped down against the wall, her eyes closed and head lolling to the side. There wasn't anything in her mother's rules of etiquette specifying if such behavior was acceptable, though it didn't much matter to Astoria at the moment. It felt as though a fire was spouting from her aching temples, and consuming her tired body. She tumbled into the hot black abyss, all reasonable thought burned away in the inferno….

"Greengrass…Astoria…_Astoria." _

"Stop the rocking." Astoria muttered softly as she came to. Her eyes fluttered open. At first all was blurry, and she wasn't sure why she the world was moving so much. And Merlin she was _roasting_.

"Enlighten me, Greengrass, as to what you were doing passed out on the floor in an empty corridor back there."

Astoria shook her head softly to clear it of the fogginess, and her cheek grazed something that felt like cloth. With a gasp, she realized her head was nestled against someone's chest and two strong arms encircled her.

"Draco, why are you carrying me?" The absurdity of her inquiry made her already flushed cheeks burn even more.

"First why don't you answer my question?"

"I was just resting. I haven't been well."

Draco's chest rumbled with his laughter. "Resting on the stone ground?"

"It was comfortable enough." Astoria grumbled. Although, she had to admit being in Draco's arms was a bit more inviting than the cold dirty floor.

"Well, to answer your question: I saw you, nearly delirious and burning with fever as I was walking by and what was I supposed to do? I'm not completely heartless, whatever you think."

"Thank you."

Draco cleared his throat; the sincerity in Astoria's voice seemed to have taken him off guard.

"The doors to the Hospital Wing were closed." Astoria announced, simply to change the subject. "I couldn't get pepperup potion because Katie Bell hasn't been moved to St. Mungo's yet. You heard about what happened to her, right?"

Draco shifted Astoria in his arms. "Er, yeah."

"I can walk now." Astoria said. Draco set her down gently. She swayed, and her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck to steady herself. When she realized what she had done, she quickly dropped her arms and focused on her shoes as they began walking side by side.

"I hope she gets better. Even though she's a Gryffindor and everything, she didn't deserve what happened to her."

A strange sort of strangled cry came from Draco. "It wasn't meant for her! It went all wrong -"

Astoria looked up sharply at her companion. She was surprised to see his mouth twisted with remorse.

"Draco…."

"If I had had the Felix Felicis, she would have been fine." Draco stared straight ahead, but his eyes were unfocused, as if he were talking to himself. He had all but forgotten the slight brunette next to him.

Astoria staggered and immediately she clutched at Draco, though all she wanted to do was get away from him. It made sense to her now, part of it at least. Draco had been the one to give Katie Bell the cursed necklace and whatever his plan had been; it had backfired because he hadn't had the insurance of the liquid luck.

"Astoria, are you -?"

She pushed away from Draco's proffered arms. "No. Draco, it was you, wasn't it? Katie Bell nearly died because of whatever you did!"

He didn't deny it.

"I don't understand you," Astoria whispered; her voice could hardly contain her emotions. "You're always conveniently there for me whenever I need someone, but - but then you go and hurt an innocent girl without a care."

Draco stepped back as if her words had physically hurt him. His lip twitched as he restrained the urge to yell right back at her.

"Of course you don't understand," he snarled, "You're just a silly little girl who always needs saving. You could never know the responsibility that's on my shoulders. You could never know how much I regret that Katie Bell had to suffer because of me. Don't you dare say I don't care about it!"

Astoria surveyed the grey eyes glaring back at her. At one time, they had almost resembled her own. Now his were darker, haunted with the things they had seen. And under his anger, there resided fear. Fear like Astoria had never seen before. As if he stared at Death day in and day out, and couldn't tell a soul.

"I think I can walk back fine by myself now." She said at last. He was right, after all. She couldn't understand what he was going through. And she wasn't sure she wanted to.

* * *

Astoria was bedridden for the next few days, and with Katie Bell still needing constant assistance, there was no way Astoria could get pepperup potion to alleviate her symptoms.

Whenever she was alone, Astoria pulled the vial of liquid luck out of her pocket, as if staring at it would tell her who had put it in her trunk. She knew the most likely person to have done it was Cora, but she was unsure of how to bring up the subject with her friend.

It was one of those particular moments that Astoria was holding the golden potion in front of her, when Cora herself entered the dormitory. Astoria tucked it away quickly, but not before the red-head had spotted it.

"Alright there, Astoria?" Cora stooped to adjust her sock. Her hair fell to form a barrier around her face.

"Hi, Cora." Astoria said softly. She regarded the other girl with a sharp gaze.

"What was that you were holding?" Cora asked, breaking the pregnant silence.

"The potion Draco lost. It was in my trunk."

Cora nodded, her eyes on the wall behind Astoria.

"You wouldn't know how it got there, would you?"

Cora rolled her eyes. "Yes. I stole it from him. Are you happy now?" she burst out.

"Why would you do that?"

"Why do you sound so accusing? He's a suspected Death Eater, for Merlin's sake, Astoria! It's dangerous for someone like him to have power over their luck!"

Astoria frowned. "If he had had it, Katie Bell would be fine right now."

"You can't be serious," Cora growled incredulously, "you're making it sound like I'm the bad one now!"

"You could have at least told me." Astoria shot back. Irritation flooded her body.

"And have you talk me out of it? Don't deny it, you would have! You fancy him, as if you hope you can turn him into a better person or something."

Cora scoffed at Astoria's bewildered glare.

"I don't fancy him! My mother raised me to avoid people like him."

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time now you've defied your mother, now is it?"

Astoria lunged for her wand. Red sparks shot from the end of it. "Get out!" She cried.

Cora gave her one last withering look before turning on her heel and marching from the room. Astoria's head fell into her hands. A horrible sense of sadness replaced her rage, leaving her feeling as though she were a balloon someone had just deflated. It seemed as though lately everyone's good intentions were leaving them in the worst of situations.


	10. The Most Deserving

**A/N: **_A big thank you to _ForeverSinging _and everyone who has read and or reviewed. I am extremely grateful. _

* * *

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Ten -

"Well, this is fun," Daphne chirped amicably as she took a seat next to Astoria at the table in the Great Hall. "It's been a long time since we've spent this much time together, just us sisters."

Astoria said nothing. She glanced down the table to where Cora sat, recounting a story to her neighbors about something funny that had taken place in one of her classes. Astoria grimaced and looked away.

It had been a week, and still they had not made up. Nor had she seen Draco since their fight.

_How did she manage to make two people so irrevocably mad at her? _

"Tori. I said, what do you think about staying here at Hogwarts for Christmas this year?"

Astoria blinked several times, and tried to seem like she had been paying attention to Daphne all along.

"Er, wouldn't Mum be angry with us? She always insists that we come home."

"Well, we had best give her our answer today so she'll know to expect us or not."

Astoria nodded. Honestly, she would have much preferred going home to staying at the castle, where she would have to spend most of her time around the still irate Cora.

"I'm not hungry," she said, pushing away from the table, "I'll go write Mum now and tell her we're coming home."

Daphne huffed. "Fine. But next year we're staying!" she called after her sister.

As Astoria wrote to her mother, she couldn't help but think of the last thing Cora had said to her:_ "it wouldn't be the first time now you've defied your mother, now is it?"_

The words buzzed and nipped at her like a million pesky flies, refusing to let her forget about them. Hadn't she always prided herself on being the perfect daughter, the one who could always be counted on to be demure and obedient? She hardly knew this new girl, who had no hesitation lying; who actually _enjoyed _it. This Astoria stole, fought, lost her temper. It wasn't right - Daphne was the rebellious one. Not her. Right?

* * *

At dinner later that day, Astoria found herself sitting between Daphne and Draco. There was a flush to his cheeks and a strange manic glow in his eyes, striking up cordial conversation with Astoria like they were close friends.

She knew she should have been suspicious - it couldn't mean anything good for Draco to be acting so out of character - but instead she simply basked in the glow of his attention, knowing it was sure to be short-lived.

Astoria could feel his eyes on her as she picked at her dinner - her appetite was long gone, probably off floating over some tropical beach at the moment. Soft pink bloomed along her cheeks.

"Do you ever let your hair down?" Draco asked. He gently touched the long braid that hung down her back.

She shrugged. "Yeah, sometimes; I just like it out of the way."

His hand traveled down her hair, stopping at the end and pulling out the elastic holding it in place. Before Astoria could respond, he had unraveled her brown waves, so that they fell haphazardly about her shoulders and back.

"That's better," he murmured.

Astoria lifted a hand self-consciously. "No, it's not."

But Draco was back to concentrating on his dinner, and he missed the battle being fought out upon Astoria's face as she struggled against the smile that was trying to break past her disgruntled frown.

"You took your hair out?" Daphne asked from Astoria's right. She turned to her older sister, looking as though she had forgotten entirely about the rest of the world.

"Oh, er, Draco just did."

Daphne craned her neck around Astoria to take a glance at the unusually chipper Slytherin boy.

"What's gotten into him?" she hissed in Astoria's ear.

"No idea." Astoria mouthed back.

"Can't I be in a good mood?" Draco snapped, having heard Daphne's question.

"No," Daphne deadpanned. "You can't. Now snap out of it, it's beginning to creep me out."

He sneered at her. "I can't help it. Things are going well right now." His tone was laden with secret implications, "And Pansy's in bed sick with whatever you had, Astoria. I forgot to thank you for that."

Daphne arched an eyebrow. "Why don't you tell Pansy to sod off already? You obviously can't stand her."

When Draco didn't give an answer, she added smartly, "I expect it's because you like the way she dotes on you."

"Your sister here gives me just as much attention." He draped an arm around Astoria's slender shoulders. A corner of his mouth lifted triumphantly when a disgusted snarl sounded at the back of Daphne's throat.

"You bloody prick, what did I tell you about -"

Daphne, however, didn't get the chance to finish, for at that moment Dumbledore released the students from the Great Hall and Draco jumped up immediately.

Somehow, Astoria ended up walking next to Draco on the way back to the common room. Strangely, the flame in her cheeks still remained from his overt flirting. At the rate she was going, her cheeks would be a pile of ashes before the night was over.

"Do you really think I act like Pansy with you?" Astoria found herself asking.

He gave a short laugh. "No, you are nowhere near as insufferable as her. Actually, I can stand being in your presence far longer than with most everyone else. I think it's because you're so…"

"Yes?" She pressed. She looked up and saw he was scrutinizing her again. A pensive expression had stolen over his face.

"I don't know. I can't place a word to you, Greengrass."

Astoria busied herself with adjusting her shirt and tried not to look too pleased at what he had said.

"I want to show you something." Draco said suddenly. He gripped her hand and pulled her away from the flow of Slytherins making their way to the dungeons.

"Where are we going?" She gasped.

"Calm down, Greengrass. I'm not taking you off to go murder you." His tone was light, and she began to calm down in spite of herself.

Draco didn't stop until they were on the seventh floor. The hall was empty, save for the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.

"If you dragged me all the way here just to stare at a picture of a man teaching trolls to dance, you should know I've seen it already plenty of times." Astoria folded her arms. All at once she began to wonder if this was some ploy he had concocted to humiliate her.

"Quiet." Draco snapped. He paced, once, twice, three times, his eyes screwed up with concentration.

"Are you mad -?"

Astoria stopped short. Where there had once been an expanse of unbroken wall, a door suddenly began to grow right in front of her eyes. She knew as many of the castle's secrets as the next Slytherin, but this she had never discovered.

"The Room of Requirement." Draco announced, his voice dripping with self-importance.

"How did you find it?" Astoria stepped forward and turned the doorknob to see if it would truly open to a room.

"I have my ways."

The Room of Requirement was a large room with an arching ceiling. Great towers of stacked objects occupied most of the space. There seemed to be no pattern to the mess, causing Astoria to assume this had been a place where people had discarded unwanted things over the years until it had accumulated into great columns.

"This is incredible. Look at everything!" Astoria hurried inside, awestruck by the vast magical wasteland before her.

"I wouldn't touch anything." Draco advised. Astoria withdrew her hand quickly from a bottle of bubbling liquid she had been reaching for.

Astoria turned back to the ashen boy, a serious look stealing over her glee.

"Is this where you disappear to so often?"

He nodded but did not elaborate.

"I can see why. There's so much here to look at."

"I don't come just to lounge about. I actually have work to do here." Draco took off down an aisle, stopping to stand in front of what looked like a cabinet covered with a raggedy piece of cloth.

"What kind of work?" Astoria moved to his side to see why this particular object held his interest.

There was a pause before Draco finally said, "I'm not supposed to tell anyone." His voice was tight.

"You can tell me." She said softly.

"I would. I do trust you, Astoria. But if He were to know that I had said anything -" Draco cleared his throat. "Trust me. It's better if you didn't know."

Draco glanced sidelong at the brunette's expression and quickly added, "Don't worry. I have a feeling it won't be long now before I finish what I have to do."

So that explained his odd joy at dinner.

"Draco, c - can you be truthful with me?" Astoria began slowly. When he didn't stop her, she continued. "There's talk surrounding you a - and the Dark Lord. Is it true, what they say? Are you really the new youngest Death Eater?"

His body grew rigid and Astoria began to fear she had pushed her luck. But then he reached for his left sleeve and pulled it back, revealing his forearm. There, standing out sickeningly against the near-translucent skin, was the widely gossiped about Dark Mark. She bit back the scream swelling in her throat. It may as well have been Draco's death warrant, signed with a flourish from the Dark Lord himself, etched into his skin.

"He gave me a mission to complete. How could I refuse him?"

Even after Draco had shoved his sleeve back down, Astoria could still see the snake twined around the maliciously grinning skull, burning behind her eyelids.

He watched her reaction with a set jaw, preparing for her to run the other way and never look back. But she stood her ground, something akin to pity playing across her face.

Astoria coughed to clear the fear that clogged her windpipe. "You couldn't have."

"And now you don't want anything to do with me now you know the truth." It was not a question.

She gave a weak smile. "I'm still here, aren't I?" Astoria hoped he could not tell how conflicted she was inside. Her feet, however, seemed to have made their decision, staying steadfast.

He sighed, looking more than a little relieved. Then he turned, back to regarding the cabinet before the two of them.

"If I fail him - he'll kill my family." Draco said lowly. "Everything has to work out right, no more incidents like the one with Katie Bell."

Subconsciously, Astoria's hand slipped into her pocket and wrapped around the vial of liquid luck she had forgotten was there. She deliberated for only a moment, because really, did she even have a choice anymore? It didn't matter if he was a Death Eater; he deserved it more than anyone else.

"You won't fail." She pulled the Felix Felicis, letting it rest in the palm of her hand, golden contents winking up at the pair. She forced her voice to sound strong. "You won't fail because you'll have luck on your side."


	11. Always There

_**A/N: **__Hello all! I'm sorry I haven't had time to personally thank all of you who reviewed, which is something I usually make a point of doing, so I'll just thank you now! _James Birdsong_, _aleera_, _mEEEm_, _billy_, and _jane_, thank you all for reviewing! It's greatly appreciated. And also thanks to everyone who reads this, and has favorited/alerted this. You guys are awesome. Of course, _ForeverSinging_ deserves a special shout-out for being a wonderful beta, who doesn't use too much repetition, don't worry. (: _

* * *

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Eleven -

Draco took the potion after a moment of trepidation. His white fingers gripped the clear vial as though trying to keep it from disappearing.

"You had it all along?"

Astoria shook her head. "I found it." She didn't add that Cora had been the one to steal it in the first place.

He turned his eyes on her - it felt as if he were trying to seek out some kind of lie on her face. But she met his gaze evenly; after all, she wasn't one for ulterior motives.

Taking no heed of her expression, he asked, "Am I supposed to just believe that?"

Astoria quirked an eyebrow. "I wouldn't steal it just to give it back to you."

This seemed to make him relax a bit. After a moment, he took a step closer, his expression morphing. The look in his eye as he assessed her face was intimate and somehow knowing, like he could see past all the flesh and bones and straight into her thoughts. She found herself rooted to the spot - not only that, but that she was _unwilling _to move away.

"Do you trust me?" He sounded purely curious, almost childlike in his innocent question. As if he wasn't a Death Eater and she wasn't a girl who had willingly handed him what could potentially become a very dangerous weapon.

"Yes," Astoria replied without hesitation, "completely."

In the back of her mind, a warning cried out, berating her for playing so easily into his spindly white hands. But she brushed the thought away immediately, as though it were a grain of dust. It was a bit late for caution now.

Draco pulled the stopper from the vial. With measured movements, he tipped his head back and swallowed the contents in its entirety.

Astoria watched on incredulously. "What - why are you using it now? Shouldn't you save - ?"

He cut off her words with a sinister smile. He suddenly looked very much like his Aunt Bellatrix.

Astoria involuntarily stumbled backwards as he raised his wand, pointing it straight between her eyes.

"I really have to thank you, Astoria; you've made my mission quite a bit easier now. You see, all along, the Dark Lord wanted me to kill you and your family. It won't do to have purebloods who don't believe in blood supremacy when He is the ruler of the wizarding world. Your kind is almost as filthy as Mudbloods." Draco paused to curl his lip in his usual fashion, "And once I'm done with you, I'm going after your family. I have a _lucky_ feeling they won't stand a chance against me."

"No, no. Stop -"

"Never trust a snake, love."

It was only as the spell hit her that a strangled scream left her constricted throat. The force jolted her whole body. Draco disappeared, along with the Room of Requirement.

Astoria opened her eyes, disoriented by the sudden darkness. A sharp unbroken note assaulted her ears, and it was only until she gasped for a breath that she realized it was coming from her, still screaming.

"Just a dream," she whispered to the familiar darkened room. But it didn't make the truth behind it any less real.

Astoria fell back against the pillows, dazed by how vivid the nightmare had been. The terror didn't ebb like a normal nightmare, though. It hit her right then, as she lay limp in her bed back at the Greengrass estate, that she had not the slightest idea what exactly Draco intended on using the liquid luck for.

* * *

"- and obviously I couldn't afford to get another detention, so I used a copying spell on Granger's essay when she wasn't looking. Slughorn is so daft, he'll probably never realize." Daphne stopped to chuckle at her own genius. She then noticed how her younger sister had not broken her strange staring contest with her plate of breakfast in the last five minutes. "Tori, are you alright? You look like you've had a snog-fest with a Dementor."

Astoria blinked. "Hm?"

Daphne smiled. And for once, it was not traced with a smirk.

"What?" Astoria raised an eyebrow at her sister; it was unnerving to see her countenance completely free of sarcasm.

"Remember when we were little and we went swimming in the river together for the first time?"

Astoria scrunched her nose. "Actually, you pulled me in."

Daphne waved the insignificant detail away. "Let's do it again. We haven't gone there in ages."

By this point, Astoria was sure her sister had lost her mind. "It's nearly Christmas. Don't you think the water might just be a _tad _cold?"

"We're witches; we can warm it up with magic." Daphne said, as if this fact was obvious. "It'll cheer you up, I promise."

"Oh, Merlin, save me from my crazy sister and her whims." Astoria muttered, but stood up, indicating she was willing to go. She had learned it was better to just do what Daphne wanted after all these years.

The walk over the large hill and on towards the river took far less time than Astoria remembered from when she had been small. The serpentine river stood out against the snowy land like an azure ribbon lying across white lace.

Daphne was the first to leap into the clear depths once she had deemed it sufficiently heated from their combined heating spells. Astoria didn't wait to be told to come in; she plunged in next to Daphne. An elated whoop left her lips when she resurfaced.

"You're lucky I know how to swim this time."

Daphne rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me of that. I thought I had killed you. And Mother would have killed me if I had. And what would she have done then, with no daughters to uphold the grand honor of the Greengrass name?"

Astoria giggled, all bad thoughts slowly flowing from her mind like they were being carried off by the water. "It would have been a tragedy." she agreed, echoing Daphne's mock horror.

"That reminds me," Daphne said, now floating on her back, her hands making small circles below the water's surface to keep herself from drifting away. "You have yet to tell me what you and Draco were doing after dinner the other night. Don't think I didn't see you two sneaking into the common room after everyone else."

Astoria ducked her head down until she was completely submerged, hoping to delay before answering.

"He just wanted to show me something, that's all." she responded when she finally came up for air.

Daphne snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure he did."

Astoria frowned, though her cheeks flushed. "It wasn't like that. We're just… friends." She wasn't sure if the word quite encompassed her strange relationship with the Malfoy boy, especially now, but for the time being, it would have to do.

"Draco - friends with a girl? Now that's something new."

"He has friends who are girls." Astoria snapped defensively.

"No," Daphne corrected, "he has admirers who are girls. Silly girls who fancy a bit of power. Either that or the winning attitude he's rumored to have. I personally haven't seen it though…"

Astoria lifted her chin. "Well, I'm not an admirer."

"I know you're not. And so does Draco. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

Daphne's words sent an icy chill through Astoria's limbs. She thought of the Dark Mark standing out on Draco's arm and wondered if perhaps Daphne knew the truth somehow, too.

"Trust me; I know exactly what I'm getting myself into." Astoria said. _I just don't know if that's a good or bad thing anymore, _she added silently.

Daphne waded over to Astoria's side and gave her an unexpected hug. "I'm behind you, no matter what it may seem, Astoria. You know that, right?"

Astoria, though surprised, hugged Daphne back. "Yeah. Of course, Daph." She found herself comforted by her sister's words in a way she hadn't been in a long time. It was nice knowing that though she didn't have a mother or a best friend at the moment to confide in, Daphne would always be there with a listening ear and a cheeky comment or two.

"So," Daphne cried as she released Astoria, her face lit up once again with its normal mischief, "up for a game of Let's-Toss-Tori-In-the-River?"


	12. Doing What's Best

_**A/N: **__What is this, an update? Woohoo! So to clarify a few things, Astoria dreamt the whole part in chapter 11 but she really did give Draco the vial. Hope that helps because I know some of you were a bit confused. And to make up for my slow updates, here's a bit longer than usual chapter! Thanks for all the reviews and keep 'em coming! (: _

_Thanks to _ForeverSinging _for Betaing!_

* * *

An Aster Among the Thorns

_- _Chapter Twelve -

As the days went by, each as monotonous and structured as the last, Astoria felt her rebellious side slipping into hiding, away from her mother's astute eyes. Everything was decided for her; from how she wore her hair (Tizzy was responsible for styling it each morning), to what she ate. It was easy just not thinking - to be herded along like a good young lady and forget about the conflicting feelings that she had allowed to run amok inside her heart for far too long.

It was Christmas Eve when Astoria was forced to face reality once again. She was sitting in the tea parlor adjacent to her mother and the usual guests who frequented the Greengrass estate during holidays. Her face was aching from holding the unwavering demure smile she kept plastered on during these sorts of gatherings, and doing her best not to lose track of the conversation.

Next to her sat Aurelia King, a fellow fourth-year Slytherin. From under the table, she flicked her wand every now and then, making the feather on one of the lady's hats droop down into her face. Judging from the deep red color her face was turning, she was finding it hard to hold back her laughter.

Since Astoria and Aurelia were not allowed to speak out of turn, they were forced to communicate to one another through expressive looks. Astoria was dying to ask if she had spoken to Cora. It felt wrong to have gone this long without talking to her best friend, who was usually always at her side.

It was during a slight lull in the older women's banter that Aurelia gave Astoria a pointed stare, and then slide her eyes to look towards the door. She did this again, until Astoria realized what she was trying to say.

Astoria gave a soft fake cough. Her mother turned to look at her. "Yes, dear?"

"May I show Aurelia the way to the loo?"

Mrs. Greengrass gave a curt nod and the young girls quickly exited the room.

"D'ya think they'll realize we aren't really going off to the loo when we don't come back?" Aurelia snickered once they were out of earshot.

Astoria merely shrugged, distracted by a strange noise that seemed to be coming from the entrance hall, which was not more than a meter from where they stood. If Astoria didn't know better, she would have assumed the loud wailing was coming from a strangling bird. She exchanged a glance with Aurelia and crept towards the hall, staying out of sight.

Astoria could just see Daphne by the front door, a sobbing form sagging against her. She seemed to be trying to comfort whoever it was, but to no effect.

"C'mon, it's going to be fine. Just a couple weeks ago you said you were sick of him and the way he'd been acting. If you give it time, I'm sure things will work out."

Daphne stepped back and Astoria caught a glimpse of the other girl's face. Behind the tears and the blotchy red spots across her cheeks, she was easily recognizable. It was Pansy Parkinson.

"No he won't," Pansy wailed, "he said he wants someone who he can count on for more than just a good shag. After everything I've done for him, that's all he sees in me; a dependable slag." Her voice broke on the last note and she broke into a fit of sobbing.

Daphne patted her friend's back, seemingly at a loss. Astoria moved to leave, wishing she hadn't eavesdropped. Her stomach felt like it had situated itself firmly in her throat.

"Did you hear that?" Aurelia hissed as hurried off. Her almond eyes were lit with the thrill of hearing what would soon become the latest gossip amongst the Slytherins. "Malfoy must have finally gotten tired of her. I wonder if it's because he has his eyes on someone else."

"I dunno." Astoria muttered, her heart picking up at the thought. What if he _did _have his eyes on someone new? And what if that someone was her?

Later that night, after all the guests, both the invited and unexpected, had left, Daphne confronted Astoria.

"Pansy burst in the house earlier looking a mess because apparently Draco broke up with her. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Astoria widened her eyes. She hoped her face did not betray anything. "No. I thought Draco had done that ages ago, anyway."

"He seemed pretty final about it this time. It just seems odd, don't you think, that as you and he get closer, he suddenly gets rid of Pansy?"

"It probably doesn't mean anything." Astoria said, almost wishing she was wrong. If she was perfectly honest, she would've admitted Daphne had plucked the exact question from her own mind.

Astoria sat down at the vanity positioned in the corner of her vast room and began pulling the pins from her hair. Daphne reclined on the window seat and watched the dreary weather outside. She didn't seem angry, just thoughtful. Astoria was suddenly seized with the need to tell Daphne everything, about the Room of Requirement and the liquid luck. Hadn't she said she would always be there for her younger sister, no matter what?

"Daph, I have to tell you something." Astoria began haltingly. Daphne picked up on the note of nervousness in her voice and turned to give the petite brunette her full attention.

Astoria picked up the brush sitting on the vanity and began running it carelessly through her hair. "That night when Draco and I disappeared for a while… well, I said he wanted to show me something, but I never said what."

"Right," Daphne narrowed her eyes as if trying to figure out what exactly her sister was getting at.

"Do you know about the Room of Requirement?"

"The room that becomes whatever you want it to be? Potter and his friends used it last year for their ridiculous little club. 'Dumbledore's Army,' they called it." Daphne snorted contemptuously, "Yeah, Pansy told me all about it."

"That's what Draco took me to see. Except now he's using it for - well, I don't know what. And - and I might have given him something to - er, aid him in whatever it is he's doing." Astoria was now yanking the brush through her hair with quick, harsh swipes, her anxiety getting the better of her. She half-expected Daphne to jump up and hex her for what she had done. At least then she would know if she had been wrong to have given Draco back the potion.

Daphne, however, made no move to obliterate her sister. "What exactly was this 'aid?'"

"Felix Felicis." Astoria dropped her voice, "he's a Death Eater, Daph. I gave a Death Eater liquid luck."

It felt heavenly to finally admit it. To the let the traitorous words unwind their barbed roots from her conscience and flow into the air, where they could no longer plague her with their stark truth. It was like being back before she had ever questioned herself or her mother.

Much to Astoria's bewilderment, Daphne just chuckled. "Oh, this is rich. And I'm called the disgrace of the family?"

"How can you find this _funny_?" Astoria cried.

Daphne stood swiftly. She moved over to Astoria's side and bent slightly so their faces were level in the mirror. Astoria stared at the two reflections, almost startled at how alike they were. Same high cheekbones, same appraising eyes framed with arched eyebrows. The features were all similar, though on Astoria they were more rounded, giving off a gentler look. When had she become so much like her sister?

"Because who knew sweet little Astoria was capable of such mayhem?" Daphne replied, answering Astoria's earlier question. "Don't worry about it, alright? What's done is done. It's Christmas Eve, for Merlin's sake. 'Tis the season to be fat and merry and all that. Now get some sleep." she gave Astoria a pat on the head like she was a small child and flounced off to her own room.

Astoria didn't sleep very well that night. Daphne's flippant behavior after she had confessed to what she'd done had left Astoria perturbed. Daphne had seemed almost…happy about it. Happy Astoria had finally completely disregarded the lessons their mother had instilled in them since birth? That didn't sound much like a call for celebration to Astoria. But maybe it made sense to Daphne, who had always been shunted out of the way in favor of her perfect younger sister. Either way, Daphne had promised she would always back Astoria up, no matter what. Perhaps she just had a funny way of showing it. Daphne had always been a book Astoria could never decipher.

* * *

Christmas morning proceeded the way it always did: the chorus of polite thank-you's as the parcels arranged stylishly around the base of the Christmas tree were unwrapped with utmost care. Relatives and friends of the Greengrasses dotted the grand living room, from squirming toddlers pulling at their uncomfortable clothing to withered old witches and wizards that puffed away at pipes and making the air turn hazy and stifling.

Astoria and Daphne were sheathed in fine silk dresses, Astoria's the color of her eyes and Daphne's a startling silver. While Daphne grumbled away about hers, "I feel like a bloody tree ornament," her sister sat like a pompous princess on the cushions their mother had instructed them to stay on to be admired like jewels for sale.

Astoria angled her head slightly to the left, knowing it set off her features nicely, and hissed at Daphne from the side of her mouth, "you look perfectly well, Daph."

Daphne huffed, "You're just saying that because you actually like this." And she was right; Astoria was quite in her element. Here, she knew exactly what to do to impress their guests with her poise and beauty. Here, she was the best. Not even Daphne, who was considered among the Slytherin boys the best-looking of all the girls her age, could compare. Astoria would not let one moral slip-up on her part cause Daphne to become her superior. Daphne had been wrong; Astoria was _not _becoming the family disgrace.

Mrs. Greengrass approached her two daughters. Though her face had become drawn in the past few months, she seemed to have become alive again with the distraction of hosting so many gatherings. Her cheeks had a girlish flush to them, and she gave a small smile of approval when she appraised Astoria and Daphne sitting obediently.

"Daphne, that dress makes you look beautiful," she praised. The small compliment from her mother coaxed a grin out of Daphne. Their mother turned to the youngest Greengrass, and her lips pulled up even higher.

"Astoria, I heard the eldest Anderson son discussing you earlier. It seems your elegance has finally captured the boys' fancy. You never fail to make me proud, my dear."

Astoria turned to her sister, filled with her mother's pride. Daphne's smile had faded back to her sullen frown, however, and Astoria dropped her gaze. She had the feeling Daphne didn't appreciate the way she'd been dismissed so quickly.

"Thank you, Mother." she murmured as Mrs. Greengrass sauntered off to converse with her guests. Daphne said nothing.

"Would you like something to drink?" Astoria asked, getting up. She hoped Daphne just needed something to drink to cheer up.

"No," Daphne snapped, crossing her arms.

Unfazed, Astoria turned and went off on a search for the refreshment table. Once there, she grabbed two Firewhiskeys, knowing Daphne would want one, regardless of what she said.

As she was returning, alcoholic beverages in her arms, Astoria noticed an owl scratching at one of the windows.

"Someone sent their Christmas gifts a bit late," she said in an undertone. Setting down the Firewhiskeys, Astoria unlatched the window. It swept inside from the cold and landed on her shoulder.

"You can't be for me…" Astoria trailed off dubiously. The owl glared at her with its golden eyes, as if telling her to hurry up and take the package attached to its leg. She caved and took the parcel. The owl flew off quickly, as though it had been instructed to be discreet.

Inside the neat brown wrapping spilled out a necklace. Hanging from the fragile golden chain was a simple jade stone, the size of Astoria's pinky nail. It was simple, nondescript, but it was certainly the most beautiful piece of jewelry Astoria had laid eyes on. Much better than the gaudy necklace slung around her neck that Daphne had given her on her coming-of-age party.

Astoria searched for a letter, but found only a slip of parchment that read simply, '_thank you.' _No indication of who had sent it. Yet the sudden rock in Astoria's stomach told her she had a rather good idea of who it was. She put the necklace on and tucked it under her dress, tossing the wrapping casually out the window when she was sure no one was looking.

By the time she had ambled back to Daphne, Astoria had finished off her own Firewhiskey and started on the one she had meant to give to her sister. She was still waiting for the fire from the drink to burn off the butterflies' wings in her middle. So far, it had had no effect.

_What was he thinking sending that to her? _

"What took you so long?" Daphne growled, "I've had to sit here all alone. And why didn't you get me one of those?" she added when she saw Astoria sipping at the drink in her hand.

"You said you didn't want one," Astoria reminded her, sitting down shakily.

"How many have you had?"

"This would be my second."

"What's that?" Daphne had zeroed in on the chain peeking out from under the other necklace Astoria wore.

"It was a gift." Astoria said curtly.

"I never saw you open it."

Astoria cast her eyes around them and then leaned in. "Fine, it was from Draco." she said in a low voice.

Daphne eyed her sister for a moment before standing up abruptly. "Well, I'm going to get myself a drink. You okay here by yourself?"

Astoria narrowed her eyes. "Yes."

Daphne nodded and became lost in the crowd of people. Astoria watched on with a sense of discontent. It wasn't like Daphne to not give her two cents about something.

Astoria had just polished off her Firewhiskey when her mother appeared again, this time stony-faced.

"Is that Firewhiskey?" she snarled.

Astoria nodded.

"I need to talk to you, dear. In private." Mrs. Greengrass grabbed hold of her daughter and practically dragged her from the room.

Astoria looked around them. They stood in a darkened hallway that connected to the grand living room. No one else was around and her mother looked furious. Astoria felt dread's cold fingers run down her back, chilling her.

"Daphne has just informed me of something very concerning involving you and that Malfoy boy." Mrs. Greengrass began. Her nose flared as she struggled to contain her anger.

Astoria heard herself gasp loudly.

"I didn't believe it at first. You were always so well-behaved, Astoria, what has gotten into you? Consorting with Death Eaters, allowing them to give you gifts? _Helping _them?"

Astoria's hand rose unconsciously to finger the delicate necklace. Tears pricked her eyes. All she could register was that Daphne had betrayed her.

"Well? What have you got to say for yourself? Please, I would love to hear your reasoning for going behind my back, your whole family's back, to be with that boy."

Astoria couldn't formulate a response, she was so flustered. At last she said, "I'm not with him. He's just a friend."

This seemed to only further infuriate her mother. "So you became friends with him for what? So he can lavish you with gifts, is that it? Is your whole family's life worth that silly piece of rubbish?" Mrs. Greengrass reached forward and ripped the necklace from her daughter's neck.

"I won't have it! If I hear another whisper of you disobeying me, I will have you disinherited."

From her hand the necklace fell, emitting a soft tinkling noise as it collided with the stone floor. Astoria looked down at her present from Draco, feeling heat rising inside her.

"No."

Mrs. Greengrass, who had been turning to leave, stopped in her tracks. She hadn't expected her daughter to fight back.

"What?" Mrs. Greengrasses voice was sharp as flint, seeking to cut away the rebellion blossoming inside Astoria. But it couldn't stop her now.

Emboldened by the Firewhiskey, running like an inferno through her veins, Astoria met her mother's eyes. "I didn't become friends with Draco because I wanted jewelry. You can't tell me who I will befriend."

Instead of the onslaught of fury Astoria had been expecting, Mrs. Greengrass just sighed, her anger dissipating. The shadows under her eyes deepened, her body as brittle and wavering as a tree branch in the dead of winter.

"Astoria, why do you think I raised you and Daphne so strictly? My goal in life from the moment Daphne was born was to protect my children. To make sure you two made it through this war unscathed."

Tears obstructed Astoria's vision and she bit down hard on her trembling lip. This was the first time her mother had ever shown affection outside of praising her for doing something correctly.

Mrs. Greengrass narrowed her eyes, snapping back to her old self. "And I will do whatever it takes to make it happen. Even if it comes to having to disinherit you."

Astoria waited for her mother to add something like, "_because I love you too much to see you get hurt." _or at least hug her. Mrs. Greengrass turned and walked away. Astoria watched her go and wondered why her heart felt as though it was tugging itself in two directions.

She bent and scooped up Draco's necklace. Back in the grand living room, Astoria spotted Daphne sitting back on the pillows, staring down at the Firewhiskey in her hand with a puckered brow. She marched up to her sister, feeling the deep cut of betrayal again.

"Why, Daph?" She asked, no longer feeling the boiling in her veins. Just confusion, pain.

Daphne looked up. "Did you do it?"

Exasperated, Astoria snapped back, "Did I do _what?" _

"Tell Mum off."

"Never mind that, how could you tell her? I thought you said you were going to be there for me."

"And I am." Daphne replied. "I gave you the opportunity to finally stand up to her and get what you want, and not just what she wants for you."

"You did it so I wouldn't look like the better daughter anymore." Astoria accused. "You did it so you wouldn't have to be the disgrace of the family. Well, you got what you wanted. She threatened to disinherit me."

Daphne had the grace to look remorseful at that. "I was just doing what was best for you, Tori."

"No, you did what _you _thought was best for me. And I can assure you; it helped no one but yourself."

Astoria couldn't take being in the stuffy, crowded room, seeing the righteous look on Daphne's face a second longer. She turned and rushed to off to her room, clutching Draco's necklace in her hand so hard it left an imprint on her palm. She was done having others hold her life in their greedy, selfish hands.

The night before she returned to Hogwarts, Astoria set the hideous necklace Daphne had given her at her coming-of-age party in her sister's trunk. Daphne could have the stupid family heirloom back; Astoria had never really liked wearing it anyway.


	13. Fire and Ice

An Aster Among the Thorns

- Chapter Thirteen -

Cora apologized without preamble the night of Astoria's return from holiday.

"Merlin, Astoria, I'm so sorry for what I did. I should never have gotten involved; it was about you and Draco, after all. I hope you aren't still mad…" The redhead dwindled off, sheepish.

Astoria, with a rush of relief, was quick to shake her head. "I thought you were still mad at _me_. You were just trying to protect me and I overreacted."

The friends embraced. Astoria had never been mad at Cora, not really. More at what she had said; it had stung a bit to have the truth flung in her face.

Cora caught Astoria up on the latest scandals and rumors that had been circulating during the break. Her heart skipped a beat when Cora brought up a familiar name.

"-Heard Malfoy broke up with Pansy for real. And get this - he did it through a _letter. _The coward couldn't even wait until she came back from break to do it in person."

Astoria focused on fixing the hem of her skirt, pretending this piece of news was not of much interest, though it had been all she could think about since she had found out herself earlier.

"Pansy doesn't seem to be handling it very well," Cora murmured, nodding towards the opposite side of the Common Room, where Pansy sat surrounded by girls trying to console her. Astoria couldn't help but think that Pansy was rather milking the situation. "And Draco has been sneaking off most of the time. Wonder what he does with all his free time. He's started to look sort of ill lately. I'm starting to believe the talk that he's up to something. Astoria, are you okay?"

Astoria plastered a wide smile over her worried frown. It could only mean one thing if Draco was looking ill: Things were not going well with his mission for the Dark Lord.

"Well, how was your break? I feel like I'm doing all the talking." Cora asked.

"It was g-great. Er, nothing really happened."

Cora nodded, looking a tad disappointed at Astoria's lack of detail. But she wasn't ready to tell Cora anything yet. If she had learned anything from Daphne, it was that sometimes it was best to keep a few things to herself. She touched the jade pendant hanging from the necklace around her neck. Yes, there were some things that were better left for only her to know.

Classes started up again and before long Astoria found herself in need of a serious conversation with Draco. They swapped simple words now and then in passing, but he always seemed distracted and there never seemed to be a good time to bring up what Astoria really wanted to talk about. After thinking about it all through her holiday, it now felt almost imperative that she find out the details of his mission. It had been foolhardy to trust him so blindly before without knowing anything. And perhaps if she did know, she could be of more help to him; hadn't she been the one to assist him in retrieving the lucky potion, after all?

Draco, however, was about as easily found as a wisp of smoke. He no longer ate down in the Great Hall if he could avoid it. His prefect duties had been all but neglected and in his free time he always seemed to vanish. To Astoria, of course, it was no mystery where he went off to, although everyone else seemed quite unaware. Talk began to spread like Fiendfyre about Draco throughout the Slytherin house as even those close to him became suspicious about his behavior. Ludicrous stories circulated, one in particular saying Draco had taken up a new girlfriend from a rivaling house and he spent all his time hidden away with her. Meanwhile, others surfaced, such as the rumor that the Dark Lord had assigned Draco the task of killing Harry Potter, which seemed almost too realistic for Astoria's comfort.

After several days of this, Astoria knew she could take no more. The restlessness inside her conscience was far too great to squelch. Her hatred for "The Chosen One," as he was called these days, was certainly not enough to want him dead. If she had unknowingly taken a part in bringing about his death, Astoria was sure she would never forgive herself.

And so, filled with driving purpose, she made her way up to the seventh floor, knowing Draco was sure to be working on his secret mission. She stopped once she was next to the painting of Beedle the Bard. Looking around at the unyielding stone walls, though, Astoria realized she had no idea how to make the door to the Room of Requirement appear.

With wand in hand, she strode back and forth like Draco had when he had taken her here. Three times she paced, feeling silly and thankful no one was about to see her.

Nothing happened.

Again she paced, whispering a few simple opening spells this time. Still nothing. Astoria tapped the wall with the tip of her wand, thinking perhaps it could also be opened like the wall into Diagon Alley. Over and over she paced, trying everything that came to mind. The wall had yet to budge.

"Please, door, open," Astoria pleaded.

Frustrated and desperate, she tried pacing one last time, blocking out all thoughts except her need to find the room Draco was in so she could speak with him. A noise alerted her, something like a gentle _woosh. _Her eyes snapped open. Before her was the Room of Requirement. A wide smile broke across her face.

"Draco? It's Astoria…"

Her own voice sounded strange, swallowed by the vast silent room. There came a rustling from somewhere to her right, down the aisle where she had given Draco the potion. Astoria moved closer, and sure enough, there was Draco, pulling a raggedy cloth over the strange cabinet with a harried expression.

"Greengrass, what are you doing here?"

"I needed to talk to you."

Draco glanced towards the door. "Wasn't there a - er, little girl standing out there?"

Mystified, Astoria shook her head.

"Damn Goyle," Draco growled under his breath, "must've gotten distracted by food again."

He shook his head and then refocused back on the confused girl before him. "Well, what did you want to talk about? It's not like I have anything important I should be doing." Draco chuckled, ruffling his hair, which for once was not slicked back.

Encouraged by the fact Draco was actually laughing, Astoria said, "You. I want to know how you are."

"How I am?" He echoed. It seemed as though he hadn't been asked that much before. "I'm fine, I suppose. I just need a little more time."

Astoria didn't quite believe him, however. The bruise-like shadows under his eyes certainly didn't look fine. Nor the gaunt hollow in his cheeks. His pride would never allow him to admit how he was really doing, but Astoria saw it there in his face.

Draco cleared off a tattered bench next to him and sat. He beckoned her and she settled down next to him. He was looking at her, the way he had that night at dinner before Christmas when he had been in such a good mood. Taking her in, like she was an intricate painting that required a long inspection to truly understand. His eyes stopped at the necklace she had yet to take off.

"I was meaning to thank you for that," she murmured. "Although a simple 'thank-you' would have been sufficient; this must have cost you a load of galleons."

"I needed to pay you back somehow," Draco replied around a clenched jaw, "I didn't intend on leaving myself in your debt for very long."

Astoria widened her eyes. She hadn't realized that Draco had thought she'd wanted something in return for giving him the liquid luck. But then again, they were both Slytherins, and he had enough sense to not let her have any sort of upper hand.

"I… didn't mean to put you in my debt." She said after a moment, "Believe it or not, I had no ulterior motive."

"Not even now?"

Astoria met his penetrating gaze. "No."

His eyes clouded over. He turned away with a patronizing sneer. "Then you're daft for being here. You're risking your own neck by talking to me."

Astoria frowned. She was tired of the way he acted as though she were a naïve child, stumbling around without an idea of the consequences. She thought of her mother, accusing her of putting her whole family in danger. Yes, she knew exactly what was at stake. Even still, she couldn't find it in herself to leave and forget about Draco.

"My mother told me to stop talking to you. I told her no."

Draco glanced over at Astoria, surprise barely concealed. She was known as her mother's little replica throughout the Slytherin house. Draco himself had even joined in on some of Daphne's jokes through the years, calling her a pretty little marionette doll. But now, she thought maybe he saw something there in her eyes that was all Astoria.

"Did Pansy know about this?" Astoria asked suddenly, gesturing around her. She didn't know where the question had come from but knew once it had passed her lips she desperately wanted to know the answer.

"No." Draco stared hard at the space in front of him, an unpleasant scowl set in place. "Pansy didn't care about my mission. She just wanted to know when and where she could sign to become a Death Eater too. Thought it was all about the power and glamour." He stood up abruptly and began to walk in large circles, as if the movement would burn off his anger.

"But what she didn't get was people _die. _It's not a game. And if she wants that, then by all means, she can have it. But I didn't want anything to do with it."

Astoria simply watched Draco, both afraid of his fury and unable to think of anything to say. It seemed perfectly within Pansy's character to want to be a part of something that gave her power. But after hearing her side of the break-up back at the Greengrass Estate over holiday, Astoria couldn't help but feel like there was something more Draco wasn't saying.

"Draco?" Astoria said softly after the minutes stretched on. Draco paused in his ceaseless walking and seemed to snap back to reality. He came to sit back next to Astoria.

"Yeah?"

Might as well not beat around the bush. Astoria took a deep breath. "I want to know what your mission is. I can help you." She added hastily before he could stop her. "I want you to succeed, Draco. You said the Dark Lord will - will -" Astoria couldn't force herself to say '_kill you if you fail._'

"This is my mission; I have to do it myself. And I will. You've already helped me and I paid you back."

"I could do more." Astoria said.

Draco looked like he wanted very much to say something, but for whatever reason he decided against it. And then he was moving in, his lips against her surprised ones. It took her only a moment to respond, to comprehend the fact that this was Draco Malfoy's lips on hers. His hands, cold and hungry, wound around her, finding their way in her hair, pulling away the pins until it was flowing free down her back. She snaked her arms around his neck, both pressing closer to him and holding back in nervousness all at once.

The kiss lasted longer than just a moment. It continued on, growing and deepening, and soon Astoria lost all sense of the world except cold: cupping her chin, buried in her hair, moving against her lips. But she was hot, heat against his ice, and she imagined that he was drinking in her warmth like he needed it to survive.

Somehow, Astoria knew this kiss was Draco's way of saying what his words had not. It was a thank-you of sorts. Not the kind to make him even with her, but a heartfelt kind. She was the only one worrying about him, not because she wanted his task finished, but because she cared for him and his welfare. And she was probably one of the only people who did.

Then Draco disentangled himself from her. Astoria sat with her eyes still closed for a moment, disoriented, forcing her lungs to remember how to breathe. When she opened them, Draco was gone, the door to the Room of Requirement clicking closed. She stared after him for a long time, still breathless, still unable to process anything but cold.

It seemed that Draco had leeched all the heat from her body.

**A/N: **_Sorry for such long stretches between updates… hope you enjoyed the chapter. Thank you for the reviews and favorites/alerts! _


End file.
